BlakUp!

BlakUp! is a First Nations gathering focused on rest, connection, and collective organising to build Blak power.

In September 2025, FYA supported the delivery of BlakUp!, a week-long gathering that brought together 26 First Nations young people on Binjareb and Wilman Country.

The gathering created space for cultural connection, shared learning, and community-led organising during a period of heightened political and emotional pressure for First Nations communities. Supported by Elders and experienced campaigners, participants strengthened relationships, reflected on their experiences of advocacy, and explored how healing and justice-focused work can coexist. Participants learned skills, reflected on their organising experiences, and explored ways of holding culture, healing and justice together.

A powerful collective outcome of the week was the creation of a Close Unit 18 banner in honour of Cleveland Dodd, which was gifted to his mother, Nadene, who attended the event. Cleveland was a 16-year-old Yamatji boy who fatally self-harmed in adult maximum security prison after experiencing prolonged abuse and solitary confinement. This action reflected the grounding of BlakUp! in care, remembrance, and collective responsibility, alongside political and community action.

BlakUp! reflects FYA’s ongoing commitment to supporting First Nations young people in ways that are community-led, culturally grounded, and responsive to what is needed to sustain movements and the people within them.