Sharing culture creatively in new ways

"My creativity has helped me a lot because without creativity I would never have dreams." – Penelope Towney

Who am I?

I’m Penelope, a Year 6 Wiradjuri and Palawa student who loves using creativity to share culture and connect people. I’ve been passionate about celebrating my culture through storytelling, technology and leadership at my school.

My journey

At school, I regularly participate in the Acknowledgement of Country, helping integrate language and culture into school events and spaces while also serving as a Library Monitor to bring creative and cultural projects to life. One of my biggest achievements has been creating a YouTube series called ‘Towney Time’ where I teach and inspire others about Aboriginal culture, reaching audiences far beyond my community.

HPGE opportunities & the Nanga Mai Awards

My creativity has been nurtured through HPGE opportunities, including programs that allowed me to grow my leadership and storytelling skills. These experiences gave me the tools to create innovative cultural projects like my video series. I was honored and surprised to receive the Outstanding Achievement in Public Speaking Awards (Primary) 2022 at the Nanga Mai Awards, recognising my contributions to cultural education and creativity.

I was inspired by my Aboriginal heritage and Pop, Graeme Neville Towney, and set out to create my first video teaching the importance of Aboriginal culture in Wiradjuri language at the age of 7 years old. Since then, I have continued to reach new heights off the back of this success teaching people far and wide about language and traditional cultural practices both in my school community and beyond.

“I certainly believe that our school is very lucky that we've had Pen Towney in here at our school to provide inspiration, and I'm really lucky to have her as one of my Library Monitors… she's certainly been an integral part in creating our beautiful library.” – Jennifer Roberts, School Librarian, Waniora Public School

Connection to culture & identity

Culture is at the heart of everything I create. I work closely with my family, community and other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to ensure that every story, word and project reflects culture genuinely. Whether through language use, videos or creative school events, I strive to inspire others to explore, share and respect Aboriginal culture.

What I’ve learned & where I’m heading

I hope for the future I’m able to dive further into my video-making and build on this success. My dream is to amplify my storytelling to reach larger audiences, encouraging more people to connect and learn about Aboriginal culture.

Find out more

If you’re interested in learning more about High Potential and Gifted Education you can have a conversation with your school or check out the Advice for parents and carers of high potential and gifted students.