Nambour youth learn skills for life via ‘cultivated chaos’
By Cameron Outridge
Nambour businesswoman Robyn Cook is on a mission to give local teenagers the tools and confidence to step into the workforce — and she’s doing it from a vibrant, multi-use space in Howard Street.
Ms Cook is the driving force behind Cultivate the Chaos, a social enterprise that delivers hands-on education for young people through the long-running STUFFit Student Film Festival.
“Welcome,” she told guests at this week’s Nambour Chamber of Commerce meeting, which she hosted in her studio. “My company is actually called Cultivate the Chaos because that’s what I do pretty much every day.”
The STUFFit Film Festival, now in its 14th year, is international in reach but firmly grounded in the local community. “Every year we receive films from young people aged 12 to 18 from all around the world, over 20 countries,” Ms Cook said.
More than a creative outlet, the festival is a training ground for real-world skills. Local students manage the entire event while working toward a Certificate III in Events. “They learn communications, they learn logistics, they learn customer and stakeholder relationships… budgeting… They do all of those things.”
The program is funded through sponsorship and hires of Ms Cook’s Howard Street venue — a stylish industrial space available for workshops, screenings and meetings. Revenue raised helps cover the cost of training for students whose families may not otherwise afford it.
“When you come in and rent our space in here… you are helping me and my business to educate our local young people,” she said. “They get qualifications, they get connections, they have work pathways.”
Ms Cook, who runs the enterprise solo, said she’s always open to a chat. “If you ever want to talk, knock on the door. It is like seven days a week at the moment because I am it.”
Contact: robyn@cultivatethechaos.com.au | 0458 723 590 | 37 Howard Street Nambour
Robyn Cook’s students receive qualifications, connections and work pathways through their work for ‘Cultivate the Chaos’. From left, Lincoln Knight, Rae Gunn, Robyn Cook and Liv Granger.