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Spotlight on Racism

Musicians

Cath Grimes - PLAYLUNCH

Playlunch

What do you do?

Performers in a band.

Where were you born?

Australia, Holland and England.

Where did you grow up?

Western suburbs of Sydney, Amsterdam, England.

Describe your cultural/religious/ethnic family background

We're not religious but we're all following our own spiritual paths.

Do you know any other languages? If so what are they?

Three of us speak English but the bass player speaks Dutch, English, French and German.

What is your favourite place in the world and why?

Europe, especially the South of France.
The slow paced life style, the love of life, the arts and music, the intensity of the people and that everyone seems to be an artist of some kind. And, just the fact that it's different from home.

Have you ever experienced or witnessed racism? How did it make you feel?

Not personally but we've all witnessed it many times.
Pretty angry, it's difficult to comprehend the motives behind such ignorant behaviour.

What did you do about it?

It depends on the situation, usually speak out against it. I always let people know that I disagree with their views and that everyone deserves the same chance in life.

What advice would you give kids experiencing racism?

Try and be tolerant of other people's backgrounds even your attackers, but don't ever put up with racist abuse. You don't have to ignore it. Always believe in yourself and see your culture as part of Australia's amazing diversity.

What kind of Australia would you like to see for our children?

One where we have learnt the art of co-existence; one where you look at a person and see the inside not the outside.