A Decade of Cultural Learning | Celebrating 10 Years of Partnership with the Packer Family Foundation

In 2024, the Packer Family Foundation marked a remarkable milestone—$100 million given to Australian community organisations over ten years. As one of their longstanding partners, The Song Room is proud to celebrate this incredible legacy and reflect on the transformative journey we’ve shared.

A Transformative Partnership

Since 2014, the Packer Family Foundation’s generous support has enabled us to deliver high-impact, culturally enriching programs to some of Western Sydney and Melbourne’s most under-resourced schools. Their investment of $700,000 has enabled us to reach nearly 5,000 students across 13 schools through our Deadly Arts program. This decade-long commitment didn’t just fund programs—it helped shape futures. It empowered children, amplified First Nations voices, and brought communities together through shared stories, creativity, and culture.

Deadly Arts: Cultural Learning at Its Core 

At the heart of our partnership was Deadly Arts—a First Nations-led initiative delivering:

• Weekly, sequential in-class arts lessons co-designed with First Nations artists
• Professional learning for teachers to embed Indigenous perspectives
• Community celebrations like the Bankstown Big Days of Learning
• Student-Elder collaborations, including the production of a CD inspired by Aboriginal poetry
• Ongoing school capacity building to sustain cultural learning long after the program’s completion.

These programs provided more than an education—they offered belonging, pride, and connection.

Stories That Speak Volumes 

The impact of this work is best told through the voices of those who lived it:

• A student at St Mary’s North Public School shared, “It’s really kept me out of a lot of trouble and I get to be with my best friends, so I’m happy. That ceremony was one I can’t forget… I’m proud of me and all of them.”
• At Dawson Public School, 100% of students turned up to perform at a major Sydney conference—many seeing the Harbour Bridge for the first time.
• Bossley Park Public School has become a model for embedding First Nations culture. A teacher shared, “The Song Room has been a key partner in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural learning of our school for many years.”

And in 2023, the Weaving Yarns initiative brought five schools together to celebrate community storytelling through shared performance—a vibrant expression of cultural connection.

A Legacy That Lives On

As the program concluded at the end of in 2024, our focus last year shifted to sustainability. We worked closely with educators and school leaders to embed lasting change—supporting them to confidently deliver Indigenous cultural learning and build ongoing relationships with Elders and local cultural networks.
Today, creative legacies—like the lunchtime student band at Bossley Park Public—continue to grow, nurtured by seeds planted during the program.

Gratitude and Reflection

The support of the Packer Family Foundation has been a catalyst for growth, learning, and deep community impact. It allowed The Song Room to:

• Innovate and scale First Nations-led programming
• Strengthen ties with artists, Elders, and educators
• Create lasting cultural and educational change

To the Packer Family Foundation: thank you. Your vision and commitment to cultural learning and educational equity have left an indelible mark—not only on our organisation but on every child, teacher, and community your support has touched.

This has been more than a partnership. It’s been a shared journey toward a more creative, inclusive, and culturally rich future for all young Australians.

Learn more about the Big Days of Learning in Bankstown in 2023 and 2024 on our Journal page. You can find out more about our First Nations Programs here.

If you’d like to learn more about supporting The Song Room, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us here or email at enquiries@songroom.org.au.