STRUGGLE STREET © ATOM 2015 A STUDY GUIDE BY KATY MARRINER http://www.metromagazine.com.au ISBN: 978-1-74295-602-2 http://www.theeducationshop.com.au INTRODUCTION CONTENTS’ HYPERLINKS: Some Australian families and individuals are facing the daily hardships of economic and social disadvantage. They 3 Curriculum links are struggling just to get by. Struggle Street (2015) is a three-part observational documentary series made by KEO 4 Episode Synopses Films Australia for SBS. Struggle Street was filmed in and around the Mount Druitt 4 Episode viewing chart area1 and documents the challenges of life for some individuals and families living on the fringes of Sydney’s 8 Participants metropolitan area. Approximately one in three residents in some parts of the Mt Druitt area are public housing tenants and many live with a disproportionate rate of complex social 9 Discussion 1: Community problems2. Generational disadvantage means there are few role models for young people who want to break the cycle. 11 Discussion 2: Social disadvantage Struggle Street goes beyond the tabloid headlines and introduces us to the people often wrongly labelled as ‘dole 13 Discussion 3: Family bludgers’, ‘housos’, ‘druggos’ and ‘welfare cheats’. The series explores the circumstances and events that have led 15 Discussion 4: Substance dependence them to the difficult situations they face today. SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION The participants of Struggle Street gave KEO Films 18 Discussion 5: Critical response exclusive and uncensored access to their lives over a six- month period. The result is a raw and honest account of life 19 Additional resources in an under-resourced Australian suburban area. The stories are at times confronting, but also inspiring, as we witness resilience and dignity in the face of overwhelming personal and social problems. 2 CURRICULUM LINKS This study guide to accompany interpret, and evaluate the Struggle Street has been written for stylistic, technical, expres- students in Years 10 – 12. As a cur- sive and aesthetic features riculum resource, the series expands of these works and the ways that the and enriches students’ understand- works communicate and challenge allows students to discuss the estab- ing of human experiences. The series ideas and meaning. The activities lishment of personal identity, factors explores how factors such as low- within this study guide provide oppor- that shape identity and the validity of incomes, unemployment, postcode tunities for Year 10 Media students to: stereotypes. In addition, the series can discrimination, minimal education, be used to plan, implement and cri- substance dependence, long term ill- • understand the aesthetic, style tique strategies to enhance the health, ness and generational cycles of disad- and format of an observational safety and wellbeing of communities. vantage shape the lives of individuals documentary; and families. • use critical approaches to analyse Struggle Street can be used to and interpret an observational teach English, Health and Human In Year 10 English, Struggle Street documentary; Development, Media, Sociology, can be used as part of thematic units • understand how audiences Psychology and VET Community exploring the ideas and issues raised participate in the construction of Services in Years 11 and 12. Teachers by the series. The activities within this the meaning of an observational are advised to consult the curricu- study guide provide opportunities for documentary and explain ways lum outlines relevant to their state or Year 10 English students to: in which an observational docu- territory. mentary reinforces or challenges • analyse, explain and evaluate the social, cultural and artistic values; Struggle Street contains coarse structure of a text and how the fea- • use appropriate media terminology language, violence and drug use. tures of the text influence audience and personal interpretations to de- Teachers are advised to preview the response; scribe the structure, content and series before showing it to students. • to develop and justify their own aesthetic qualities of an observa- Dialogue containing coarse language and other interpretations of a text; tional documentary. is used throughout this study guide. • to create a wide range of texts, Students should also be briefed about 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION make presentations and contrib- In Year 10 Health and Physical the content and purpose of Struggle ute actively to class and group Education, students are provided with Street prior to viewing. For some discussions. knowledge, skills and behaviours to students in the class, viewing Struggle enable them to achieve a degree of Street may be both confronting and In Year 10 Media, students critically autonomy in developing and main- upsetting. Teachers need to respect discuss contemporary works such taining their physical, mental, social the circumstances of these students as Struggle Street. They analyse, and emotional health. Struggle Street and remain aware of their sensitivities. 3 EPISODE SYNOPSES EPISODE ONE Episode One tells three very differ- ent stories of individuals and families battling to survive. Ashley and Peta have ten children and eighteen grand- children. With not enough money to EPISODE THREE go around, and a multitude of health problems, surviving every day is a chal- lenge. Life is made all the more difficult In Episode 3, Ashley and Peta look when illicit drugs threaten to tear their to the future, after ice-addict Corey’s family apart. Indigenous man William dramatic exit from the family home. is living rough in the bush. Relying on Peta is turning her attention to com- his slingshot to kill birds for food, he munity work, and has big plans for is caught between two cultures, and the upcoming local Christmas Fair. struggling to retain his identity. Even Twenty-three-year-old son Tristan though single mum Erin is unemployed is forging a new role as a disability and battling to bring up her four-year- spokesperson, while youngest son old son, she has decided to take in Zac’s behaviour is a cause for con- homeless sixteen-year-old Bailee. cern. For twins Michelle and Cheryl, a family surprise could mean they can put years of conflict behind them. EPISODE TWO Caught between the temptations of town and the tranquility of the bush, Episode Two explores the harsh William makes a big decision. realities of life on Struggle Street. Peta and Ashley’s family dramas come to a head, when son Corey’s drug use leads to an explosive confronta- EPISODE VIEWING CHART tion outside the family home. Long- time heroin addict Bob is facing his Use the viewing chart to record your observations about own demons. Not only is he fighting Struggle Street. In the row labeled ‘Reflection’, provide a 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION off possible eviction, his pregnant comment that expresses your view of each episode. Share girlfriend has disappeared with all the your observations and reflections with the class. money he has. In contrast to these volatile disputes is the story of former Jump to Epsiode 1 Viewing Chart. teenage troublemaker Chris, who ral- Jump to Epsiode 2 Viewing Chart. lies the neighbourhood to save the job Jump to Epsiode 3 Viewing Chart. of the local church pastor. 4 VIEWING CHART Episode 1 PLACE PEOPLE ISSUES Reflection SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION 5 VIEWING CHART Episode 2 PLACE PEOPLE ISSUES Reflection SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION 6 VIEWING CHART Episode 3 PLACE PEOPLE ISSUES Reflection SCREEN EDUCATION © ATOM 2015 © ATOM SCREEN EDUCATION 7 L-R – 1: THE KENNEDYS – ZAC, CHLOE, PETA, ASHLEY. 2: BOB. 3: WILLIAM. 4: BAILEE. 5: CHERYL & MICHELLE PARTICIPANTS ώ THE KENNEDYS Tristan is a regular speaker at schools living rough in the bush, using home- and road safety forums. His accident made slingshots to hunt birds to eat. He Peta and husband Ashley have ten kids has prompted him to make better deci- currently does not have formal ID docu- and eighteen grandkids between them. sions about his life. ments. As an Indigenous Australian, Both were employed, Peta in the cater- William feels as if he is caught between ing industry and Ashley as an interstate Fourteen-year-old Zac is the young- two cultures. He is struggling to find his truck driver for thirty years, until severe est of Ashley and Peta’s children. He place in society. family illness forced them out of work attends secondary school, where he and onto benefits. is doing well, and he is a promising ώ ERIN AND BAILEE young Rugby League player. Despite Ashley is only fifty-two-years old but the chaos that pervades his home life Erin is a twenty-one-year-old single mum he is in the early stages of dementia. on a daily basis, Zac’s misbehaviour is with a four-year-old son. A survivor of Adding to his health woes is heart typical of any adolescent boy – staying domestic abuse and teenage homeless- trouble. Peta is Ashley’s full-time carer, up too late playing video games and ness, Erin is caring for sixteen-year-old and is responsible for managing and annoying his sister. Bailee. Bailee needs somewhere to live mediating the family’s many issues. Her after the house she was living in was other passion is the local community, ώ BOB AND BILLIE-JO trashed. Despite the adversity of their and she devotes her time to fund-rais- circumstances, both Erin and Bailee are ing for others despite the often over- Bob is forty-seven-years-old. His life determined to keep their lives on track. whelming crises on the home front. has been all but destroyed by his heroin and ice habits. Bob’s collection of ώ CHRIS, CHERYL AND The Kennedys’ lives are regularly family photographs reveals his other MICHELLE thrown into chaos by twenty-five-year- life. Bob’s wife Caron suffered a brain old Corey’s ice addiction.