AMWU makes hip hop kinection

17 July 2014

Perth’s old Midland Railway Workshops came alive with music, dance, art and games for  NAIDOC week with a Hip Hop Family Day thanks to our union’s “blue collar coalition”.

The AMWU teamed with five other unions and the Community Arts network last weekend to bring families and contemporary artists together to celebrate indigenous culture with a modern outlook.

After Indigenous Elder Richard Wilkes officially opened the event, the 300-strong crowd was treated to some home grown hip hop talent from the Beat Walkers, with Static Crew and Little Sparks following up.

Local MC’s Trooth and Bryte teamed up with DJ Zeke Ugle to keep the event hopping before multiple Deadly Award-winning headliners Last Kinection appeared.

They got dancers of all ages up and about with a high energy set.

As well as the music, kids could get their faces painted, try a graffiti art workshop, have a sausage sizzle or get creative with craft workshops.

AMWU WA State Secretary Steve McCartney said it was good for unions to support the communities where our members live, as “it always achieves good things.”

“It’s great to be bringing this event to Midland, which has so much history for the AMWU,” he said.
“Having worked here myself back in the day, it’s very satisfying to see the railway workshops getting back in service for such a great event.”

Mr McCartney said that Federal and State Coalition governments were stripping away public funding for not-for-profit support groups and services, so unions would stick by these groups which were “the glue holding our society together.”