By Alicia Jones
Image: Australian Theatre Forum , Under the bridge , Downtown
connect and share healing. The group shared story around the circle, opening up lines of kinship and a precious pathway for spirit, nestled safely in the heart of Nicky Ashby (Kaurna). Together we laughed and cried and learned how to AUSLAN sign ‘deadly’! The rest of the day was, for me, fairly insignificant and quite a blur. It was the mob and my connection with them that was the most important part of the trip. I do remember a secret meeting with the super brilliant Alethea Beetson (Digi Youth Arts) and Nadine in the afternoon…shhhhh… it’s a secret…. And how Aunty Katrina encourages you to QUIT SMOKING from the back of the pub door – she’s everywhere, EVERYWHERE.
The final day promised a bit of excitement. We were given a free coffee (if you could be bothered to line up – no thankyou) and were housed in a theatre/film makers dream – an old ramshackle warehouse, with lots of draught and next door to a building site (not part of the same dream). The morning was divided up into a series of intimate conversations you could wander in and away from. I selected ART & SPIRITUALITY: Hand in Hand, led by Kamara Bell-Wykes (ILBIJERRI Theatre Company), Kyle Morrison (Noongar man - Yirra Yaakin Theatre)
and Rami Premesti. In my 15+ years of making performance, no one has ever wanted to discuss the link to spirituality and so I personally found this session refreshing, as did many others - I also find it extremely weird because for eternity we humans have been performing our spiritual histories. Ahh the west.
The most enlightening and succinct comment, that summed up the whole event for me, was made by Kyle Morrison when he said calmly: “There was some talk at this event about ‘how many times do we need to say sorry?’. Your people tried to kill us all. I forgive you, but I don’t trust you. You need to earn my trust”. I personally believe through experience that trust is a two-way street.
The afternoon keynote was delivered by the amazing Jacob Boheme (Narangga/Kaurna man – Yirramboi festival). In a forum of Australia’s major theatre players, where lots of nodding and acknowledgements took place, Jacob provided actual methods for embedding cultural practice into the operational management of companies and venues. I swear every person in that room would have voted Jacob for President and lots and lots of pens were scribbling on paper.
The closing was led by Aunty Katrina again who roused us into action and commitment to be better, to be accountable, impeccable. Calling up Nathan …. (Gamilaroi), the two electrified the atmosphere with clapsticks and song. I looked around the room through watery eyes, held in the feeling that magic IS happening.