How the arts help prevent alcohol and other drug harm

Music, dance, film and song bring people together. For many cultures, they are also central to identity, place and belonging. Making something creative with others builds the protective factors that help prevent alcohol and other drug harm: social connection, self-confidence, pride and a sense of purpose. You can read more about protective factors in prevention strategies.

Arts programs also build trust. When young people spend time with youth workers and artists they like, they are more likely to talk about what’s going on in their lives and to ask for support when they need it. Alcohol- and drug-free festivals and events show the whole community a healthy way to celebrate together.

These four programs show how Local Drug Action Teams (LDATs) and local services have used the arts with young people and their communities.

Project 8 film, music and dance in the Bega Valley

The Bega Valley LDAT, led by partner South East Arts, ran Project 8 with young people aged 12 to 20 on the NSW south coast. Over a series of free workshops in Eden, Bournda, Bermagui and Merimbula, participants worked with professional filmmakers, dancers, musicians and a spoken word artist.

No dance or music experience was needed. Participants wrote the music, created the choreography and came up with the video concept themselves, then recorded the soundtrack in a professional studio. The result was Take Care Be Aware, a music video with a message for other young people about looking after your mates and yourself when you’re out in a group. Every session included a shared lunch.

The Bega Valley LDAT partners included South East Arts, the local Community Drug Action Team, Juvenile Justice, headspace, Grand Pacific Health, Bega Valley Shire Council, Far South Coast Family Support Service and Australian Red Cross Narooma. Read more about mentoring young people.

Djamaga Music: Songs from the South Coast

The Bega Valley LDAT also started Djamaga Music: Songs from the South Coast, a project that gave Aboriginal musicians on the NSW south coast the chance to write and record their own songs. The LDAT worked with South East Arts, Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, Merrimans Land Council, a local high school and a local music school.

Songwriting and music production workshops led to an eight-track album recorded at Umbarra Cultural Centre, ranging from rock and country to hip hop and folk. The artists included students, young adults and a long-standing local performer who has been a role model for younger musicians for many years. Djamaga means “good” in the South Coast language spoken by Elders.

The album was launched in 2022 at the Giiyong Festival, a family-friendly, alcohol- and drug-free day of music, dance, performance and Aboriginal culture that drew around 3,000 people. The project celebrated culture, heritage and local talent, and strengthened ties across the community. The Djamaga album is available online, with proceeds supporting the Giiyong Festival and First Nations projects.

Music workshops at Swan City Youth Service

The Swan City Youth Service LDAT in Western Australia, a partnership between Swan City Youth Service, headspace Midland, Holyoake Midland, Mission Australia’s Drug and Alcohol Youth Service and the City of Swan, ran free weekly music recording workshops for young people from their teens to early twenties.

Each Tuesday, 20 to 25 young people came in to record their songs with a youth worker who is also a musician and trained in alcohol and other drugs. They took home their finished tracks, and each year the program produced a CD and a concert for family and friends, where everyone got a turn on stage. The LDAT funded public transport cards so young people could get there.

The music came first, and the connections followed. Through the trust built in the studio, young people talked with staff about what was happening in their lives and were linked with other services when they wanted them, including Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, Indigo Junction and local alternative education schools. Staff saw young people grow in confidence, with many performing in front of an audience of around 150 people. When COVID-19 paused the workshops in 2020, the team kept in touch with participants online.

Popping Nation dance events in Sydney’s inner west

Marrickville Youth Resource Centre ran Popping Nation, a series of alcohol- and drug-free dance events for young people in the Inner West Council area, with the Marrickville Community Drug Action Team (CDAT).

Four events were held across the year, each drawing around 150 young people, families and friends. Teams of dancers competed in heats in the “popping” style, with barbecues and half-time entertainment. Registrations booked out within three days, and six teams competed for the Popping Nation title in front of guest judges from overseas.

Young people helped run the events, with mentoring in event planning and production. The events were sponsored by Inner West Council and the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, whose small grant helped fund a short documentary. An all-stars crew went on to perform at the Marrickville Festival and the NSW Community Drug Action Team Conference, and new partners joined, including Save-A-Mate (Red Cross), Barnardos Australia, PCYC Balmain, headspace Ashfield and Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand.

More stories about the arts

• Blacktown: FASD conversations through art: art workshops where women and girls from many cultures talked about alcohol, pregnancy and FASD.
• How community sport helps prevent alcohol and other drug harm: seven sport programs run by Local Drug Action Teams.

The programs above have several things in common:

• They’re free and open to everyone. No experience needed, with food, transport and equipment covered.
• Young people create and lead. Participants wrote songs, choreographed dances and ran events themselves.
• Artists and youth workers mentor. Professional creatives and trusted youth workers build skills and relationships at the same time.
• There’s something to share. A music video, an album, a concert or a competition gives young people something to be proud of.
• Culture is at the centre. Projects led with and by Aboriginal communities strengthen identity and connection.
• They partner widely. Arts organisations, youth services, health services and councils each bring something different; see community partnerships.

These programs draw on the Creating Social Connection, Belonging and Purpose toolkit, one of the toolkits LDATs use to plan their Community Action Plan.

Last reviewed: 4 November 2026