Little Baghdad — PYT Fairfield

Overview

Powerhouse Youth Theatre (PYT) Fairfield once again heads out into the local community to do what they do best — that is, highlighting and celebrating cultural pockets of Sydney that are vibrant but often little-known. This time the focus is on the thriving Iraqi culture in Sydney's western suburbs.

Little Baghdad is a culinary theatre experience, but it's also an effort to gain public recognition and support for one of the most successful refugee services in the world. Audiences are invited to attend a traditional dinner party in the Parents' Garden Café in Fairfield High School, a commercial kitchen-cum-refugee support centre that has been praised by the UN as a model for welcoming and integrating refugees into a community.

The night will consist of food, drink, dance and song as newly arrived Australians share dishes and memories from the country of their birth. Artists and musicians will be showcasing their works, with performances and live music throughout the night. After dinner, though, everyone dances. It's tradition.

This is an excellent opportunity to support one of the few positive measures Australians have implemented when it comes to refugees. It's also a great chance to immerse yourself in the culture of a country that's been a tad difficult to explore as a tourist of late. If you need extra incentive, supporting this event is an incredibly creative way of telling Peter Dutton where he can shove it. Although, if you'd rather not spoil your dinner with politics, the first two reasons are perfectly adequate.