The idea’s simple: students register and learn a song that celebrates Aboriginal culture and language, they raise funds while rehearsing the song, students then ‘busk’ or perform the song to their friends, family, school, or post a video online.

Now in its third year, the initiative was created by Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) ambassador and ARIA award-winning musician, Josh Pyke.

This year’s featured song, Country Tells Us When…, was co-written by Pyke, children’s entertainer and actress Justine Clarke, rapper and drummer DOBBY (aka Rhyan Clapham), and recorded by singer and actor Tehya Makani.

It shares the story of Country and the six Yawuru seasons, based on a book created by students from Cable Beach Primary School in Broome, Western Australia and published by ILF.

Dalisa Pigram Ross is the Yawuru language teacher at Cable Beach Primary and prides herself on carrying on the work of protecting the culture of her Elders.

It’s also her passion and she says she feels a responsibility to pass this knowledge down to the next generation

While students love these lessons, she and the other teachers she works with often struggle to find books and other resources to use.

“So they thought, ‘let’s make it ourselves’,” Pigram Ross says.

“They did beautiful block painting to reflect the six Yawuru seasons and the deep knowledge Yawuru people have for following the signs and telling us what season we’re in.”

With Pigram Ross guiding the cultural and language components, the book was published in 2023.

While the text was first intended to be a resource for the Cable Beach school community, she says it’s had a “ripple effect”.

“Country is our oldest family member,” Pigram Ross says.

“The song reflects that Country is our book and our teacher to help guide us through the changing seasons.”

The educator says she feels a deep sense of pride to be a part of Busking For Change and the teamwork involved in producing a book reflecting traditional knowledge.

“It’s exciting to have our book inspire a song that now others around the country will have an opportunity to learn and through learning the song they will be learning about Yawuru language and culture.”

“I think our Elders would feel so proud that we are helping to share our culture and keep our language strong.”

While turning a book into a song was not an easy task, it was a rewarding process, Clapham says.

Makani is Pigram Ross’ niece and Clapham says working with the pair was a vital part of the process.

“It contains beautiful, enriching information about their Country, so it has to be told by someone from that Country who belongs to and relates back to there,” the Ngemba and Murrawarri man shares.

From left, Josh Pyke, DOBBY, Tehya Makani and Justine Clarke are inviting schools to join in the fun and register for ILF’s musical fundraiser, Busking For Change. PHOTO: ILF supplied

Pyke says the idea of Busking for Change is a straightforward yet powerful one.

“…students learn a song, sing it, and raise funds to support remote First Nations Communities to access and create books in languages they speak at home.”

Cable Beach Primary principal Guy Hayward says to see the book grow into an award-winning, internationally celebrated work is something that has filled his entire school community with pride.

“Having it transformed into a song for the Busking For Change initiative is incredibly powerful – it reinforces many of our students’ sense of identity and deepens their pride in seeing their cultural practices and language shared and celebrated across the nation.”

Performances of the song can be held any time, but the ILF suggests Term 3 this year. Many schools hold their 'Busking Day' on Indigenous Literacy Day, Wednesday, September 3. 

The goal in 2025 is for 80 schools to get involved in Busking for Change and raise $80,000 for the ILF. As of June 16, 61 schools have registered.

Foundation ambassador and educator Shelley Ware says Busking For Change brings First Nations culture, language, and knowledge systems into classrooms through music “and a whole lot of fun”.

She says the money raised helps children access books, and see themselves in the stories they read.

“We’re looking at the rich knowledge held on Country and put it into a book to help children in schools connect to that, and children in these communities see themselves reflected,” Ware says.

“It spreads a lot of knowledge around not only Australia but these books are going worldwide, and it’s helping people see the value of our beautiful people and our cultures.”

(with AAP)

Educators and school leaders interested in registering their schools can click here.