David Vadiveloo
Encyclopedia
David Selvarajah Vadiveloo is a multi-awarded Australian screen director, screen producer and human rights lawyer.
His work in the 1990s and early 2000s in film and human rights saw him awarded the 2005 Australian Human Rights Commission Award for Individual Community Achievement for his work with Indigenous and marginalised youth. In 2005 he was also the youngest person to be Highly Commended for the Human Rights Medal (Australia)
, recognising lifelong commitment and achievements in human rights.
Vadiveloo holds a Bachelor of Laws
and Bachelor of Arts
from Monash University
, Melbourne, Australia and a Graduate Diploma
in Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts
at University of Melbourne
, Australia.
In 1993, before his legal career had begun, Vadiveloo's admission to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
of Australia was mired in controversy. His admission was opposed by the Government of the Northern Territory
based on an alleged lack of commercial legal training received during the mandatory post-studies practicum year under the Australian system. However, the presiding Judge set a precedent
when he rejected the Government case, holding that experience at the Aboriginal Central Land Council
in Alice Springs and a commercial firm was sufficient for Vadiveloo to gain admission.
Vadiveloo worked for several years in Alice Springs, Australia, as a solicitor
and barrister
. He also spent two years at the Central Land Council where he worked on the successful Native Title
Application, Hayes v Northern Territory, brought by the Arrernte
people of the Alice Springs region.
In 1996, Vadiveloo spent a year as a policy advisor to the Racial Discrimination Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission. In that time he facilitated national community consultations with people from non-English speaking backgrounds about the operation and effectiveness of the Australian Racial Discrimination Act. These consultations led to the Race Discrimination Commissioner's 1996 State of the Nation Report which outlined the key findings of the consultations.
In 1998, after graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts, Vadiveloo returned to live in Alice Springs where began a media training program at the Irrkerlantye Learning Centre, working with Indigenous
children from the Town Camps of Alice Springs and re-engaging them with schooling through media. This program led to partnerships with the Arrernte families of the region and the production of his multi- award winning short film Bush Bikes (2001) and then the first Indigenous children's television series in Australia, Us Mob (2005).
Vadiveloo's documentary Trespass (2002), about the Mirrar leader Yvonne Margarula
and her battle with mining companies over the Jabiluka
mine site, won multiple awards and his documentary Beyond Sorry (2004) premiered on Australia's ABC Television
and was a festival favorite at the 2004 Sydney Film Festival
.
In 2009, Vadiveloo was nominated for two Australian Film Institute Awards
. He directed and wrote the half-hour drama Burn (2008), about youth identity and crime which was nominated for Best Short Fiction Film. He also directed, wrote and co-produced the documentary series, Voices from the Cape (2008), which followed a media program run by his company Community Prophets, in the Aboriginal community of Aurukun in Cape York
, Australia.
Vadiveloo is the founder and director of the media entertainment and social justice company Community Prophets. The company produces film and television and delivers digital media training programs for marginalised youth. Vadiveloo has developed a unique model for working with marginalised youth which involves partnering with communities, training participants, employing community members and ultimately producing broadcast quality film and television. He has developed the model over a decade in many communities across Australia.
Vadiveloo sits on the International Advisory Board of the charity Global Angels
and on the advisory board of the Centre for Cultural Partnerships at the University of Melbourne.
Us Mob http://www.usmob.com.au
Burn http://www.burn-movie.com.au
Voices from the Cape http://www.voicesfromthecape.com.au
Living Next Door to Alice http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/15/1097784032642.html?oneclick=true
Movie making project boosts school attendance http://www.minniscomms.com.au/educationtoday/articles.php?articleid=12
David Vadiveloo: grass roots reconciliation http://www.realtimearts.net/article/issue63/8562
Life Matters Feature Interview: David Vadiveloo http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/stories/s1341400.htm
Aboriginal Town Camp School http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/stories/s1527871.htm
Coding Cultures http://www.dlux.org.au/codingcultures/handbook.html
Mulka Media Centre http://www.yirrkala.com/mulka/video.html
His work in the 1990s and early 2000s in film and human rights saw him awarded the 2005 Australian Human Rights Commission Award for Individual Community Achievement for his work with Indigenous and marginalised youth. In 2005 he was also the youngest person to be Highly Commended for the Human Rights Medal (Australia)
Human Rights Medal (Australia)
The Human Rights Medal is awarded by the Australian Human Rights Commission each year. It was established in 1987 by the then Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to recognise the "contribution to Australian society of a wide variety of men and women committed to issues of human rights,...
, recognising lifelong commitment and achievements in human rights.
Vadiveloo holds a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
and Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, Melbourne, Australia and a Graduate Diploma
Graduate Diploma
A Graduate Diploma is generally a postgraduate qualification, although some graduate diplomas involve the study of undergraduate level courses...
in Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts
Victorian College of the Arts
The Faculty of the VCA and Music is a faculty of the University of Melbourne, in Victoria . VCAM is located near the Melbourne central business district, on two campuses, one - the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music - on the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, and the other - the...
at University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, Australia.
In 1993, before his legal career had begun, Vadiveloo's admission to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is the superior court for the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters...
of Australia was mired in controversy. His admission was opposed by the Government of the Northern Territory
Government of the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is governed according to the principles of the Westminster system, a form of parliamentary government based on the model of the United Kingdom...
based on an alleged lack of commercial legal training received during the mandatory post-studies practicum year under the Australian system. However, the presiding Judge set a precedent
Precedent
In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
when he rejected the Government case, holding that experience at the Aboriginal Central Land Council
Central Land Council
The Central Land Council is an Indigenous Land Council that represents the indigenous people of the southern half of the Northern Territory of Australia, predominantly in land issues...
in Alice Springs and a commercial firm was sufficient for Vadiveloo to gain admission.
Vadiveloo worked for several years in Alice Springs, Australia, as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. He also spent two years at the Central Land Council where he worked on the successful Native Title
Native title
Native title is the Australian version of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title.Native title is "the recognition by Australian law that some Indigenous people have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs"...
Application, Hayes v Northern Territory, brought by the Arrernte
Arrernte people
The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...
people of the Alice Springs region.
In 1996, Vadiveloo spent a year as a policy advisor to the Racial Discrimination Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission. In that time he facilitated national community consultations with people from non-English speaking backgrounds about the operation and effectiveness of the Australian Racial Discrimination Act. These consultations led to the Race Discrimination Commissioner's 1996 State of the Nation Report which outlined the key findings of the consultations.
In 1998, after graduating from the Victorian College of the Arts, Vadiveloo returned to live in Alice Springs where began a media training program at the Irrkerlantye Learning Centre, working with Indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
children from the Town Camps of Alice Springs and re-engaging them with schooling through media. This program led to partnerships with the Arrernte families of the region and the production of his multi- award winning short film Bush Bikes (2001) and then the first Indigenous children's television series in Australia, Us Mob (2005).
Vadiveloo's documentary Trespass (2002), about the Mirrar leader Yvonne Margarula
Yvonne Margarula
Yvonne Margarula won the 1998 Friends of the Earth International Environment Award and the 1998 Nuclear-Free Future Award. She also won the 1999 U.S...
and her battle with mining companies over the Jabiluka
Jabiluka
Jabiluka is a uranium deposit and mine development in the Northern Territory of Australia that was to have been built on land belonging to the Mirarr Aboriginal people...
mine site, won multiple awards and his documentary Beyond Sorry (2004) premiered on Australia's ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
and was a festival favorite at the 2004 Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
.
In 2009, Vadiveloo was nominated for two Australian Film Institute Awards
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
. He directed and wrote the half-hour drama Burn (2008), about youth identity and crime which was nominated for Best Short Fiction Film. He also directed, wrote and co-produced the documentary series, Voices from the Cape (2008), which followed a media program run by his company Community Prophets, in the Aboriginal community of Aurukun in Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, Australia.
Vadiveloo is the founder and director of the media entertainment and social justice company Community Prophets. The company produces film and television and delivers digital media training programs for marginalised youth. Vadiveloo has developed a unique model for working with marginalised youth which involves partnering with communities, training participants, employing community members and ultimately producing broadcast quality film and television. He has developed the model over a decade in many communities across Australia.
Vadiveloo sits on the International Advisory Board of the charity Global Angels
Global Angels
Global Angels an international charity founded by Molly Bedingfield. Molly's children Daniel Bedingfield, Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle have contributed greatly to the organization and the organization is a children's charity meant to stop child trafficking and child poverty.Yamaha...
and on the advisory board of the Centre for Cultural Partnerships at the University of Melbourne.
External links
Community Prophets http://www.communityprophets.comUs Mob http://www.usmob.com.au
Burn http://www.burn-movie.com.au
Voices from the Cape http://www.voicesfromthecape.com.au
Living Next Door to Alice http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/15/1097784032642.html?oneclick=true
Movie making project boosts school attendance http://www.minniscomms.com.au/educationtoday/articles.php?articleid=12
David Vadiveloo: grass roots reconciliation http://www.realtimearts.net/article/issue63/8562
Life Matters Feature Interview: David Vadiveloo http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/stories/s1341400.htm
Aboriginal Town Camp School http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/lm/stories/s1527871.htm
Coding Cultures http://www.dlux.org.au/codingcultures/handbook.html
Mulka Media Centre http://www.yirrkala.com/mulka/video.html