Teresa Moore is a proud Aboriginal woman from Karratha, Western Australia, however her exciting life has taken her beyond her community, travelling everywhere from LA to Sydney. Having attended WAAPA through their Aboriginal Performance Course, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Acting) and is already having a significant impact. Last year she spent some time with our Sparks Coordinator, Tiare Lesa, delivering fun and inspirational workshops to our participants.
Teresa has loved sharing her skills with the girls, seeing her influence on them being one of joy, laughter and acceptance. “I come in and give the girls permission to just be silly,” she says, “because that’s when they can just let go and enjoy themselves.”
The Sparks program is in place to help our girls explore their passions in life, which will possibly then influence their life decisions positively. For Teresa, her spark is acting. She speaks of how acting has taught her so many skills that are transferrable into everyday life - things like “how to read a room, how to demand space and respect in that room, and how to be your best self in that scenario.” These are the skills she is passionate about embedding into the girls.
Society has always taught girls and women that we need to make ourselves smaller – sometimes literally when it comes to our bodies, but also figuratively in the way we interact with the world and the ideas and opinions that we have. Shooting Stars has always rallied against this, instead empowering the participants to be themselves, make emboldened decisions and take hold of their future with both hands.
This is an idea that Teresa mimics in her sessions with the girls, telling them that “the future is yours to shape how you want. No one can write your story but you – you are the author, so make sure you finish that story.”
The Sparks program helps our participants identify and develop their ‘spark’ and passions in life. Exploring these areas is crucial for our participants and their ability to grow their social capital and maximise their education. By uncovering and developing their sparks, they can strengthen their confidence and motivation in education, employment and life.
