Making space, pushing time' : a Sudanese hip-hop group and their wardrobe-recording studio

This article explores the appropriation of an everyday domestic space by a group of young Sudanese men living in Western Sydney, Australia. The participants' construction of a do-it-yourself (DIY) wardrobe-recording studio acts as a starting point from which to investigate the transnational reproduction of spatial and material practices of resourcefulness in the context of resettlement. Concepts of space, appropriation and emplacement are employed to critically examine the pragmatic, inventive and resourceful use of an ordinary bedroom space. I ague that the ongoing project has solidified a common purpose among the participants, providing them with a material and symbolic platform from which to engage Sudanese and other migrant youth, as well as a creative means of avoiding the potentially negative effects of idle time. The article concludes that longer-term settlement strategies need to be put in place, which address the secondary settlement challenges of monitoring and needs assessment, and customized support for self-funded, youth-based projects.