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What prompted you to design the bystander effect workshop?
“The Australian Film, Television and Radio School expressed a desire to provide an education series to their students outside of their core subjects around social issues, social phenomenon, leadership and professional development and professional skills. It’s unique and quite remarkable – students won’t be tested at the end.
“What I love about the concept is these are skills that will be really important to their development and careers, and also as filmmakers it’s really important and valuable to be across broad social phenomena like the bystander effect – it could be worth considering as a concept for film. “Symes Group chose me to develop the programme and deliver it. Symes Group associate Pearl Tan was excited, commenting on how suited I was.
“Which is true; I have a particular passion for social impact. I’m very interested in understanding why we care, and why we walk past?
“I think that comes from my background growing up in Third World countries, and having lived for many years in South Africa, wondering how a whole country could experience apartheid. I did a lot of research as I found it fascinating.
“Also, how did the rest of the world just stand by? That’s also fostered an interest in Rwanda.”
"Sometimes too, a lack
of general empathy
may be a factor."