Kids on The Block take on criminals

Wasana and Naryma Dixon, 11-year-old twins, are preparing to take on a fearsome opponent - a drug dealer who peddles his destructive wares in the inner-city neighbourhood.

This is no ordinary fight. The sisters are stepping into the ring as the virtual stars of a new video game, Pemulwuy Dream Team, set in the Tony Mundine Gym.

The artists who created the game for the Nintendo Wii said the battles fought onscreen reflected daily life.

Keg de Souza helped run an animation workshop at the community centre. She recalled the twins' response when she asked participants what they would fight to make The Block a better place. "Drug dealers and alcohol dealers," de Souza said. "That was their words. It was confronting for us. They drew these images of needles and bottles with VB labels."

The discussion led to characters whose identities were honed in the workshop. When it came time to film footage for the game, the twins stepped into the ring. They also recorded some of the voice-overs.

"It was quite telling of their experiences as 10- or 11-year-old children," de Zouza said. "I don't think I could have done an accurate impersonation of a drunk person at that age."

Other characters include "the wrecker", who represents overdevelopment, and an indigenous boxer evoking the spirit of Pemulwuy, an Aboriginal man who led resistance against European settlement.

De Souza said the "good guys" in Pemulwuy Dream Team continued the warrior's fight for justice in a modern context.

"You can get knocked out. You could knock someone out. Or you could win by a point. The idea is that it's a battle. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose."

The game can be played as an installation at an exhibition, There Goes The Neighbourhood, at CarriageWorks until June 27. The exhibition also includes photography, storytelling and music.

Source: www.smh.com.au/national/kids-on-the-block-take-on-criminals-20090522-biam.html