We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of lands across Australia, their Elders, Ancestors, cultures and heritage, and recognise the continuing sovereignties of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.

We respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land on which the ACTF is based and pay our respect to their Elders past and present.

We are honoured to have the opportunity to learn from the oldest cultural storytellers in the world and seek to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners to share their rich culture and perspectives with children in Australia and around the world via stories on screen.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or text.

Celebrate Girlhood this International Women’s Day

Around half of the world’s population is, once was, or will be a 12-year old girl. With this fact in mind, filmmaker Tilda Cobham-Hervey and twelve 12-year olds set out to study this curious creature. Teachers, check out A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year Old Girl (and our new education resource!) to mark International Women’s Day on 08 March.

A short film centred on identity, A Field Guide to Being a 12-Year Old Girl is an innovative blend of theatre and documentary. Twelve 12-year old girls are given the task of investigating their own ‘species’, covering topics such as appearance, interests, and what makes them happy or sad. This unique film can be used as a contemporary stimulus for ‘All About Me’ units, and is available as a digital download from the ACTF Shop.

The ACTF has recently produced a Teaching Toolkit to accompany the film, just in time for the school year. This resource will support Year 6 and 7 teachers in examining the film’s construction and themes with students. Learning tasks are mapped to the Australian Curriculum, and draw on content from English, Health and Physical Education and Media Arts.