Youth voices take centre stage at Culture Waves and the upcoming Culture Fest

Over Terms 1 and 2, twenty-three high school students aged 14-18 from across Waverley came together to take part in Culture Waves—Waverley Council’s youth leadership program exploring cultural identity, inclusion, and community connection through storytelling and event design.

Participants engaged in conversations and activities on various intercultural topics through 7 group workshops and 4 individual mentoring sessions with volunteer mentors to develop new skills and create Culture Fest. Culture Fest is a youth-led celebration of the diverse cultures shaping our community. We heard from four high-school students, Ezra, Sarina, Tracy and Vera, who participated in the program, and also one of the mentors, Karen, to ask about Culture Waves and the upcoming Fest.

Karen, one of the program’s volunteer mentors, found out about Culture Waves through Council’s newsletter, Waverley Weekly, and said the experience was both meaningful and rewarding.

“Scary, informative, enriching and rewarding,” she said. “Sharing life lessons and discussing problems in a positive, non-judgemental, safe environment is rewarding for both parties.”

The students also found immense value in the open, inclusive space that Culture Waves provided.

“One of the most important things about Culture Waves is that we all can contribute different opinions,” said Sarina, a Year 11 student from St Catherine’s.

“The fact that Culture Waves is shaped by students makes it more meaningful. It’s also important to have spaces like this where we can meet others our age in real life, outside of social media.”

Tracy, also from St Catherine’s, echoed this sentiment.

“It’s a great way to connect with people from different schools and backgrounds. As international students, it’s much more relatable when we talk to people from different cultural perspectives, and we can expand our knowledge…from others’ perspectives.”

Ezra, a Year 10 student from Reddam House School, said the program’s flexibility made it all the more inviting.

“I’ve enjoyed it a lot—it offers a great opportunity to volunteer without too much pressure. Culture Waves has definitely allowed me to hear more about different cultures and share my own opinions without fear of being judged.”

Meanwhile, Vera, a Year 10 student at St. Catherine’s, reflected on how the experience changed how she thinks about communication.

“My biggest takeaway is that communication goes both ways—you have to listen to people’s perspectives before telling your own. This became really important during the event planning stage, when everyone had such different and unique ideas.”

The culmination of the program is Culture Fest, a free, youth-led community celebration taking place this Sunday, 18 May at the Boot Factory in Bondi Junction.

Each student contributed to bringing the event to life—from programming live music and running activities, to designing collaborative art experiences.

“I’m most excited for our shared artwork to take form with everyone who adds to it during the event,” said Ezra.

“I’m excited for the food...I heard we’re going to have boba (bubble tea)!” added Sarina.

“I want to welcome the guests and see the scavenger hunt that Sylvia planned,” said Tracy.

“I’m most excited for the open mic gigs happening throughout the day,” said Vera.

Don’t miss your chance to support the incredible young people of Culture Waves and join the celebration.

Register now for Culture Fest—Sunday, 18 May at the Boot Factory, Bondi Junction.