
Joie Boulter speaks about having Dion’s artwork applied to T-shirts as a way to raise funds. We see examples of Dion’s artwork now applied to T-shirts. All royalties raised from the merchandise are put into a trust fund for Dion. We hear from Dion’s family, grandfather John Beasley and Gloria Beasley, Dion’s aunty. Summary by Romaine Moreton.
Dion’s obsession with dogs becomes the artwork of T-shirts and other merchandise, and the label 'You Cheeky Dog’ is based on Dion’s work. It is interesting to see a young boy, with his simple outlook and his keen observations of canines, generate merchandise, the proceeds from which go into a fund to support him in the future. Effectively, Dion is an artist, and as his grandfather tells us, it is possible that drawing dogs will become his job.
A documentary about a young Indigenous boy with muscular dystrophy and his fascination with dogs.
Cheeky Dog is part of the Nganampa Anwernekenhe series produced by Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) Productions. Nganampa Anwernekenhe means 'ours’ in the Pitjanjatjara and Arrernte lanuages, and the series aims to contribute to the preservation of Indigenous languages and cultures.
Stylistically, this documentary titled Cheeky Dog introduces the audience slowly to the personal world of Dion Beasley, a young Aboriginal boy who is profoundly deaf and has muscular dystrophy. The narrative unfolds gradually as we get to know Dion’s playful fascination, verging on obsession, with dogs. This enthralment with dogs is important in Dion’s life, inspiring him to draw his four legged friends constantly. It is this drawing of dogs that leads to Dion’s work being applied to T-shirts and made available for sale. Dogs seem to have a peaceful, calming affect on Dion, and the animated segments in the film, inspired by Dion’s artwork, add to the simplistic charm of this story.
Notes by Romaine Moreton
This clip shows an interview with Joie Boulter, the carer for Dion Beasley, a young Tennant Creek artist, talking about his art and the creation of the Cheeky Dog label to market his work. Her narration is illustrated with rapidly changing images of T-shirts decorated with Dion’s art, accompanied by techno music. Short interviews with Dion Beasley’s grandfather and aunt and a short scene of Dion with Joie and his sign language interpreter looking at a folio of his work intercut the main interview. The clip ends with a shot of the Cheeky Dog label. It includes subtitles.
Education notes provided by The Learning Federation and Education Services Australia
This clip starts approximately 6 minutes into the documentary.
Joie Boulter, Dion’s carer, sits in a bush setting being interviewed. We see images of different t-shirts.
Joie Boulter, Dion’s carer I thought at the time that they would transfer very well onto t-shirts and we’re sort of always looking to the future and what we’re going to do, and how we’re going to make money and that sort of thing. So we started with, I don’t know, 20 I suppose, got some t-shirts in, got them printed, sold them, did a few more and we’d sold several hundred of those. And then I was printing, using his dogs and making lino prints and printing bags and cards and then at the beginning of this year we were talking to a graphic artist from Darwin who looked at the designs, thought that they were very wonderful and was very excited about it and offered to design a t-shirt with Dion’s dogs but flash them up a bit, put a bit of colour, re-arrange them differently and actually design the t-shirt.
We see some of Dion’s designs on t-shirts accompanied by music.
So we launched the Cheeky Dog label in Darwin in June and we had a thousand printed, so we’ve sold a good amount of those now. So we’re just hoping that it develops into quite a decent business and royalties which we’re paying per t-shirt and per item of other selling merchandise, we’re putting into a trust fund for Dion so that’s where it’s heading.
A woman models some of Dion’s t-shirts accompanied by music.
Dion’s grandfather is interviewed in front of a building in the desert. Dion shows some of his designs on paper and the photographs they’re inspired by.
John Beasley, Dion’s grandfather Sometimes I see people wearing his t-shirts and I like it. I like the way the drawings of the dogs are on the t-shirts, it’s very good. When he grows up he might still draw pictures of dogs. That might be his job drawing those pictures of dogs.
Dion’s aunty is interviewed. We see another one of Dion’s t-shirts.
Gloria Beasley, Dion’s aunty I reckon it’s really good that Dion’s art, his name is on a shirt. Sometimes I buy them on off Joie and give them to the family.
Joie Boulter is interviewed.
Joie Boulter He’s not fussed with all the formalities and doesn’t understand all the selling of the t-shirts and all that sort of stuff. But he knows that the shirts are his and he enjoys drawing and as long as you know sort of we look after him properly and you know hopefully it’ll help him in the future.
We see the label of one of Dion’s Cheeky Dog t-shirts.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.