Testimonials
Northern Territory Business Events
Tourism NT has a well-developed working relationship with Ms Margaret Lim, Chief Executive Officer of The Youth Mill. The Youth Mill provides performances through the ‘Beats of Culture’ music program which focuses on the preservation of culture and language. The program encourages young Aboriginal people to share their own stories through contemporary music and performance. Tourism NT’s specialist business events unit, NT Business Events, regularly engages The Youth Mill for cultural performances as part of their national and in-destination trade and market engagement activities to inspire planners to consider the Northern Territory as a culturally respectful and immersive destination in which to stage their business events. In 2019, the first ever Long-Term Business Events Strategy for the NT was released. The aim of the strategy is that by 2030, the NT will be annually staging 160 events, welcoming 26,000 delegates and delivering $68M in estimated delegate expenditure into the Northern Territory economy. Familiarisation programs form an integral element of the strategy, assisting to attract more business events. The Youth Mill has become an essential component of these programs affording an opportunity to showcase the talent of young Aboriginal people through meaningful Welcome to Country and cultural performances that provide an enriching experience for both the young people performing and the business events planners. Tourism NT is supportive of The Youth Mill’s commitment to preserving culture through the extraordinarily produced musical performances, and will continue to engage with Ms Lim on opportunities to showcase The Youth Mill to business events audiences.
Rebecca McCaig
Director, NT Business Events
Airport Development Group
Airport Development Group (ADG) is committed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion and recognition and since 2021 it has been our pleasure to observe performances by The Youth Mill and engage them for our own projects. These projects include the launch of Qantas’ Darwin-London route attended by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, Her Honour the Administrator of the Northern Territory Vicki O’Halloran, Minister for Tourism Natasha Fyles and senior executives from the Northern Territory tourist industry. ADG also commissioned The Youth Mill to produce a Welcome to Country video, which is played at ADG’s airport terminals in Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and across our social media platforms and websites.
Recently I attended a VIP event held in Darwin hosted by outgoing CEO Alan Joyce and incoming CEO Vanessa Hudson, at which The Youth Mill performed. The performance was world class with the audience in awe of their talent.
The Youth Mill’s CEO Margaret Lim’s attention to detail and cultural integrity is evident in all performances by The Youth Mill. With her guidance and support, The Youth Mill has gained recognition locally, nationally and internationally for their performances.
ADG plans to continue our highly valued working relationship with The Youth Mill, and I am delighted to provide this letter as an unequivocal endorsement of and recommendation for The Youth Mill.
Jane de Gault
Head of Brand & Communications
Airport Development Group
Qantas
On behalf of the Qantas Board and executive team I wanted to thank everyone at The Youth Mill for the incredible performance at our function in Darwin last week.
The original songs were fantastic, and we were all moved by the powerful interpretation of I Still Call Australia Home. To hear the blend of the traditional song with indigenous language was something special.
There was no doubt a tremendous amount of effort that went into that performance. Please pass on our thanks to everyone involved.
We would love to find other opportunities for The Youth Mill to perform with Qantas again. The team will be in touch to discuss these as they arise.
Alan Joyce
Chief Executive Officer
Qantas Airways
Darwin Convention Centre
Darwin Convention Centre has been a proud partner with The Youth Mill since 2019, where they have performed music, songs and dance delivered by local First Nations youth whose talent is nurtured and enhanced by CEO and Artistic Director, Margaret Lim.
Performances at the Centre can range from intimate Degustation Dinners, featuring a menu that celebrates the local Larrakia Seven Seasons culinary calendar, through to opening ceremonies for international conventions for over 1,000 delegates.
In addition to the moving ‘Connection to Country’ that any performance delivers, what makes The Youth Mill (now TYMPAC) so powerful is that these young artists are often from disadvantaged sectors of the community, and Margaret has been able to develop their natural gift of artistic talent with highly acclaimed results.
Darwin Convention Centre continues to support and nurture the skills of The Youth Mill performers and to witness their inspiring growth in professionalism, program diversity and most importantly, their self-confidence as performing artists.
The Youth Mill has become an integral part of marketing of our unique destination that is the NT and we are proud to be associated with this performing arts company, that began as a local Darwin success story and is now poised to enter the national and international stage.
Peter Savoff
General Manager
Darwin Convention Centre
AUSMAT National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre
Over the past several years I have had the pleasure of working with Margaret Lim and The Youth Mill on a number of events – while in my current position, and also in my previous role as Stakeholder Engagement and Events Manager for the Northern Territory Department of Health. During this time I have been astounded by the level of professionalism and talent demonstrated time and time again by The Youth Mill performers, under the guidance and support of Ms Lim.
I have engaged The Youth Mill for a variety of highly produced contemporised Indigenous/classical musical performances as well as including uniquely stylised Welcome to Country, traditional dance and didgeridoo. Each time, I am astounded by the feedback I receive from guests with many commenting that The Youth Mill have delivered the most outstanding and original Welcome to Country they have ever seen. Their performances are deeply moving, dynamic and contemporary while respectfully incorporating traditional performance that showcase local talent and culture.
Ms Lim, through The Youth Mill, provides opportunities to talented Indigenous youth in the Northern Territory, demonstrating ongoing passion, support and respect to these young people. This new initiative will further showcase Aboriginal culture to wider audiences in a fresh and exciting forum. and provide further opportunities for future generations.
Amy Bewick
A/Director Corporate, Community and International Relations
National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre
Australia Day Council NT
The Youth Mill’s Welcome to Country at the 2024 Northern Territory Australian of the Year Awards was truly special. Their performance beautifully showcased the culture and music of the Larrakia people. Liam’s voice and the ensemble’s talent were mesmerising, creating a unique and unforgettable experience. It’s more than just a welcome—it’s a connection to the
soul of Larrakeyah land. Everyone should listen to this extraordinary performance; it’s a one-of-a-kind experience that leaves a lasting impact.
Anna McDonald
Chief Executive Officer
Australia Day Council Northern Territory
Northern Territory Learning Commission
It was a pleasure to have The Youth Mill partner with us as part of the Northern Territory Learning Commission event at the Convention Centre on 14 November 2023. Over 550 students and teachers had the privilege of witnessing the Welcome to Country featuring songs in language and moving reflections from members of the Youth Mill right across the day. The performance had a profound impact on the students, and was shared as a highlight by schools from across the NT who partcipating on the day. The Northern Territory Learning Commission were extremely grateful for the commitment and flexibility of The Youth Mill to have made this such an important and authentic experience for our students.
John Cleary
Senior Director – Education Improvement
Northern Territory Learning Commission