Heaps Decent is an Australian organisation empowering young people through skills building, cultural access and creativity. 

Working with underrepresented and marginalised youth, our participatory program of music and visual media activities provides a pathway to discovery, personal growth and agency through self-expression. 
hey (at) heapsdecent.com
History

Heaps Decent is an Australian organisation empowering young people through skills building, cultural access and creativity.

Working with underrepresented and marginalised youth, our participatory program of music and visual media activities provides a pathway to discovery, personal growth and agency through self-expression.

Our work in youth justice centres, specialist schools, community organisations and refuges puts youth at the centre of activities, in collaboration and mentorship with professional artists, providing support for each unique journey.

Together we build wellbeing, connection and community.

Heaps Decent was founded in 2007, when Sydney DJs Nina Agzarian and Andrew Levins teamed up with prolific American producer, Diplo (Wesley Pentz). Together, they ran music workshops in the Riverina Juvenile Justice centre in Wagga Wagga, NSW. A few months later, they took female pop icon M.I.A. to Juniperina all-girls Juvenile Justice centre in Sydney’s western suburbs. Here, Nina and Levins experienced first hand how music and storytelling can change lives.

Since its outset, Heaps Decent has successfully enlisted the passion and talent of renowned guest musical facilitators, including: Diplo, Aloe Blacc, T.E.E.D, AC Slater, Lykke Li, M.I.A., Sinden, A-Trak, video artist Ghostdad, DJ Medhi, Spank Rock, Devlin, Lady Sovereign, Brodinski, Cool Kids, Busy P, 12th Planet, Jack Beats, Tiga, DJ Craze, Jesse Rose, Gina Turner and more.

In 2008 Fuzzy, organisers of Australia’s premiere music events, joined Heaps Decent as a key partner and benefactor. Fuzzy partnered in the successful Cash for Comp fundraising scheme, providing much needed start up support for program activities.

Sixteen years on,  Heaps Decent has helped create thousands of songs and art works with talented young Australians from radically diverse backgrounds, from across Sydney and more broadly in regional and remote NSW. Young people have been empowered to tell their unique stories through workshops, performances and mentoring schemes.

They have performed in front of thousands at Fuzzy’s events, at the Sydney Opera House, the VIVID Festival and many community events. Their songs have been played to a wider audience on our weekly FBi radio segment and their music videos have even been played on the ABC’s Rage.

Heaps Decent is a public company limited by guarantee, has a board of Directors and operates under a ratified Constitution. Heaps Decent holds Tax Concession Charity status and Deductible Gift Recipient status granted by the Australian Tax Office and is a not- for profit organisation.

Our goal is to ensure creative expression is transformative and positive for all participants, and that their voices, perspectives and experiences are heard.

Heaps Decent has become, and will continue to be – a powerful force for change.

To get in touch with Heaps Decent please contact hey@heapsdecent.com

*In accordance with legislation regarding the protection of young people in Youth Justice Centre’s identities, Heaps Decent makes every effort to conceal the identities of the young people in Juvenile Justice Centres that we work with. No material is published by Heaps Decent without prior consent.

  • Contact
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  • Address: Level 3, 119 Bathurst Street, Sydney, 2000
  • PO Box: PO Box 213 Darlinghurst NSW 1300
  • Phone: 0437 978 813