SBS TV to kick start DNA tests at Werribee Holi Fest Register for a chance to receieve a free DNA test at Holi Fest
A new SBS TV documentary is looking for a large group of Indian Australians to register for a free DNA test to be filmed at Holi Fest in Melbourne next month.
The award winning film and television production company Blackfella Films is producing a ground breaking television series for SBS with the working title of DNA Nation. The three-part documentary will use DNA testing to unlock the ancient history of Australia’s culturally diverse population.
For the program our team of DNA researchers will test people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including Indian Australians, to tell the fundamental story of who we are, where we all came from, and how, in one way or another, we are ultimately all related to one another.
As part of the process, we are bringing together a group of Australian residents living in Victoria who have Indian heritage. To be considered people must clearly identify as Indian Australian, and be willing to participate in a filmed DNA test.
Candidates must be available to take the DNA test at Holi Fest at Werribee in Melbourne on Saturday the 7th of March 2015.
The results of each test will remain anonymous. No individuals will be named in the program. However the overall conclusions that will be derived from a large group of DNA test results will help to create a genetic map of how humankind has migrated throughout history, populating every corner of the world, including Australia.
The test itself is very simple. DNA is found in saliva and so all we need the volunteer to do is take a quick swab from inside their cheek with an easy to use kit that we will provide. The testing will be conducted at Holi Fest and will be filmed.
On the day of DNA testing at the festival, individuals selected can expect the entire process of DNA collection and filming to take around an hour. The test itself will only take around five minutes. But making sure everybody is processed, answering any queries, and filming the event means we need to set aside extra time.
Individuals participating in the testing day will not be paid. However the laboratory costs of each individual DNA test (valued at approximately $130) will be covered by the production company.
In addition, everybody who has taken part in the testing will have free online access to their own personal results approximately three months after the date of the test. These results may be useful to people researching their own family history.
In order to register your interest we’re asking volunteers to register their interest by sending an email to the address below:
Email:
From the large initial group of volunteers who respond to this request, we will then randomly select individuals to be DNA tested and filmed.
On filming day volunteers will be asked to sign a ‘Participant Release’ form. This gives the production company formal permission to film them, and to include the information derived from their anonymous test results in the final broadcast.
By Friday March 6th, we will contact randomly selected candidates individually to issue invitations for the DNA testing at the festival on the following day. We will have a stall at the festival where the testing will be conducted.
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