Biik Bilik

Biik Bilik means ‘My Place’ in Wurundjeri language.

It’s a collection of local stories made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across Australia can sign up to the Biik Bilik platform and use it to engage their local community.

How Biik Bilik started

Biik Bilik is a collaboration between the DDACL community and Institute of Games.  It was born during the COVID pandemic when the community saw the opportunity to communicate health messages especially COVID-19 health information in a new, different, and engaging way. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic the community realised how effective its health promotion campaigned called Community Talks…COVID reached and engaged the community using community voices, stories, and advice to each other.  DDACL sought to animate these stories and use a narrative-based and place-based game platform to engaging space for the DDACL community to learn about themselves, their health and the social and health services that can assist them. 

This was always seen as a long-term project that will grow beyond the COVID-19 era.

“We produced Biik Bilik of which we are all very proud. The stories, look and feel undeniably reflect our community in the online space.”

Dr Hung The Nguyen
RACGP 2021 GP of the Year

Co-Design

The most important part of Biik Bilik is that it co-designed from the very first step with the DDACL community and its local people.  The stories are owned by the community.  The stories are told by the community.  The themes of the stories are important to the community.

The project is heavily reliant on authentic stories from the community.  These stories and its themes come from youth, Elders and staff.  We met regularly to understand their concerns and the concerns of their community as they see it.  They were generous in giving us the stories, fixing and modifying the stories and important they helped us get the language right for our audience which is the DDACL community.

We humbly acknowledge the contributions of the Design Team and hope to continue to work with them on future narratives in the project.  Thank you to community members Doug Smith, Rhonda Smith, Alice Begley and Keith Begley; Cody Keating (Intake Administration Trainee), Jada Gwin (NDIS Aboriginal Access Coordinator), Elly Whiting (Youth Worker), Nathan Taylor (Youth Worker), Tarni Cooper (Health Service Manager,  Approval Team) and Kristal Brighton (Trainee Aboriginal Health Worker).

We would like to acknowledge the other people who were instrumental to the design and look for the game: Dr Hung The Nguyen (GP and Project Lead), Jenny Ockwell (CEO and Approval Team), Stewart Taylor (Police Community Liaison), Bridget Fernando (GP Registrar), Mathew Gardiner (Cultural Mentor – Family Services) who gave the game the name and Chris Walker (Music).

The result

Biik Bilik meaning My Place is set in our community located physically in the City of Greater Dandenong.  The scenes and key services and locations would be familiar to our community.  Familiarity is the first step to engagement and joy in participating in a video game.

Biik Bilik contains many characters both fictional and recognizable to the DDACL community.  Such as various health staff, community workers and Police Community Liaison would be instantly recognizable.  If they are not yet familiar, then when the player of game sees them in real life, they might recognize them.  Being aware of services and what they can provide surely would help people to connect with and use these services more effectively.

And that is the aim of Biik Bilik; to present a familiar location with recognizable characters to help solve health and social issues that the community is concerned about, for themselves and their families.

Additional resources

DDACL Facebook Page

Stay connected with DDACL and be the first to know about what is happening in the community and receive timely information about social and health information important to you.  Communicate with us through this site.

https://www.facebook.com/DDACLBHS

Information about COVID-19

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 in Victoria from the Victorian Government.  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

Keep up to date with COVID-19 and the flu vaccinations and keep yourself and your family safe.  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine

If you get COVID here is what you can do to get the right help.  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/managing-covid-19-home

If you have COVID-19 and want to understand the COVID positive pathway call Bunurong Health Service or check this out.  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/covid-positive-pathways

For more information and to contact an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer, Victoria Police go here and click on Dandenong https://www.police.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-community-liaison-officer-program

The Casey Aboriginal Gathering Place is a hub for social activities and programs to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the City of Casey.  Go to their website to see what is on offer https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/aboriginal-sites-cultural-events-casey and this activity featured in Biik Bilik.  https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/events/online-bingo