Footscray based charity Western Edge Youth Arts has launched a new multimedia website designed to showcase the diverse art and culture of the Western Suburbs of Melbourne.

The website features film, performance and music by young people under 26 from cultural backgrounds as diverse as Africa, Burma and Afghanistan. “

"Melbourne’s West is home to one of the most cutting edge and vibrant artistic cultures in Australia” said Western Edge’s Executive Officer, Ryan Johnston “and this website is designed to showcase this to Australian as well as international audiences”.

At present the site presents art produced since 2008, but over the coming months it will be expanded to include work spanning the past 15 years.

“The aim”, Johnston said, “is to produce the most significant online archive of culturally diverse youth arts available anywhere today”.

Western Edge Youth Arts is a registered charity that works with culturally and linguistically diverse and economically disadvantaged communities to create unique arts and arts education experiences for young people under twenty-six.

Western Edge works in both school and community contexts, and is dedicated to fostering social justice, self-empowerment and cross-cultural understanding among all young people.

Visit the Western Edge Youth Arts website

For more information contact Ryan Johnston on (03) 9091 4716