Harmony Square hosted a free festival designed to unite young people and kick-start positive change.
Grounded Festival brought performances and activities to Dandenong on Saturday 25 March.
Festival-goers got involved with henna art, face-painting, hair braiding and an AFL skills tent.
There were performances from hip hop collective Gremlns, singer songwriter Thando, Man Made Mountain, Malesh P and Deng Tebir, and spoken word artists Soreti and Abe Nouk.
Last year’s Miss South Sudan Australia winner Anyuop Dau curated a fashion parade and there was an Aboriginal welcome to country and a Maori Te Hononga O Nga Iwi.
The Grounded Project represents diverse young people in Melbourne’s west and south-eastern suburbs.
The idea behind it is to unite youth through grassroots culture and pursue positive social change for the community.
Thirty people from Grounded at a Gua Performance and Leadership camp at Wilson’s Prom National Park in January organised the festival and partnered with South Sudanese Australia Youth United.
Organisers also participated in two Harmony Day performances in the lead-up to the event, at Dandenong High School and Keysborough College.
The Grounded Project focuses on the commonalities of individuals while celebrating and respecting differences.
Its vision is to educate young people about the importance of cultural history and identity, the joy of being creative and focused, and the empowerment of connecting as a community.
It aims to promote mutual respect, open-mindedness and social equality to reduce violence, substance abuse, and discrimination.
Grounded challenges social and institutional racism and prejudice in Australia and brings diverse people together to build strong relationships through music and performing arts.
