Barbara Oehring Photography: Indigenous

Showing posts with label Indigenous. Show all posts

Sunday, July 14, 2019

NAIDOC Week Celebrations

I celebrated NAIDOC Week 2019 with a variety of events offered by my local Council.

NAIDOC Week is held annually in Australia in July. It is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements.

This year's theme
VOICE. TREATY. TRUTH. LET'S WORK TOGETHER FOR A SHARED FUTURE.
acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always wanted an enhanced role in decision-making in Australia's democracy.

During NAIDOC Week I attended several events held at Knox Community Arts Centre including a musical theatre performance of THE SAPPHIRES and a film screening of WARRIGAL CREEK MASSACRE followed by a panel discussion.

On a cold and wet Friday I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at the Knox Community Arts Centre listening to MISSION SONGS performed as a quartet by Jessie Lloyd on guitar, Kristel Kickett, Candice Lorrae and Rob Mahoney on double bass.

(L-R) Kristel, Jessie and Candice
© Barbara Oehring 2019

The MISSION SONGS PROJECT is an initiative to revive contemporary Australian Indigenous songs from 1900 to 1999. Jessie Lloyd, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander musician, has travelled Australia in search of hidden songs. Prof Marcia Langton AM and Archie Roach AM are the project Patrons and Advisors.

Following last Friday's wonderful performance we had a chance to meet the singers in the foyer.

Jessie Lloyd
© Barbara Oehring 2019

CDs and song books were available to purchase. The album The Songs back home - Mission Songs Project include a booklet with chords and lyrics as well as a foreword by Marcia Langton and Uncle Archie.

For further information on the MISSION SONGS PROJECT visit http://missionsongsproject.com/

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Yalukit Wilum Ngargee: People Place Gathering

The eleventh Indigenous music and cultural festival YALUKIT WILUM NGARGEE was held on 6 February 2016 at O'Donnell Gardens in St Kilda. The celebration is part of the St Kilda Festival. The main event, FESTIVAL SUNDAY, will be held on Sunday 14 February on the St Kilda foreshore.

Yesterday, on a beautiful summer's day, I visited Yalukit Wilum Ngargee: People Place Gathering - for the first time.

I arrived after the Welcome to Country by Arweet Carolyn Briggs, a senior Boon Wurrung spokesperson. Boon Wurrung is a clan of the greater Kulin nations. Euro Yuroke, more commonly known as St Kilda, is on the land of the Boon Wurrung people.

Embracing smoke at a Smoking Ceremony.

Indigenous Hip Hop Projects performed. I admired their dancers.

Yalukit Wilum Ngargee was hosted by the wonderful actor/writer Tammy Anderson.
Tammy watches the Hip Hop crew from the stage.

Birds of Prey were on show at Yalukit Wilum Ngargee.
Barn Owl and Masked Owl.

Wedge-tailed Eagle.
The eagle is the Kulin nations' spiritual being.

On the stage Monica Weightman gave a great performance.

There were many more musical acts to follow finishing with Bart Willoughby in the evening but it was time for me to leave.

I am looking forward to another Yalukit event: CONFINED. The exhibition by Indigenous artists currently in or recently released from custody in Victoria will be shown at the Gallery, St Kilda Town Hall, from 10 February to 8 March 2016.

For details and further Yalukit events:
http://www.stkildafestival.com.au/yalukit/other-events

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Chrysalis Bindi Cole

Bindi Cole, an Australian artist with Wadawarrung heritage, shows CHRYSALIS at Maroondah Art Gallery in Ringwood from 10 April - 13 June 2015.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon in May I attended an artist talk by Bindi Cole.

The Art Gallery is situated in Maroondah Federation Estate where I took this photograph.

The title for the exhibition CHRYSALIS suggests the idea of a protective coating, a sheltered state, or a stage of being and growth.

Bindi Cole in front of Clouds Are The Dust Of His Feet #4, one of a series of large cloud photographs in Gallery One.

Work EH4542 refers to the artist's experiences in prison. Between 1999-2000, Cole spent two years across different prisons in England including the notorious Holloway Prison. For the artist it was a period of significant self-transformation during which she embraced Christianity.

The prison cell plays upon the idea of solitude as potentially nourishing or oppressive. It was built to specifications in accordance with the average size of a prison cell in the British Isles. It features a collection of objects from the artist's time in prison including photographs, identity tags, cigarette papers, lighters, video stills and diary.

In Gallery One the imagery of the prison cell is contrasted with the series of cloud photographs.

The artist's installation We All Need Forgiveness in Gallery Two is an HD video installation lasting 5 minutes.

Kevin Rudd's 2008 "Sorry" speech forms a starting point for much of Cole's work on the topic of forgiveness.

Visitors to the gallery are invited to write their own message of forgiveness on a small cloud; in this way adding to the fabric of the installation.

Here Bindi Cole is photographed with some of her friends who participated in the multi-channel video work while a couple of visitors are inspecting the various messages of forgiveness on the small clouds attached to the wall.

I returned to Maroondah Gallery for the CHRYSALIS exhibition launch on 28 May 2015. In recognition of Reconciliation Week 2015 Aunty Diane Kerr provided a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony. Natalie King, Senior Research Fellow, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne opened the exhibition. Les Chessells, General Manager Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, spoke about the community controlled Aboriginal organisation.

Performances by the Djirri Djirri Dance Group and singer song-writer Kutcha Edwards followed.

Kutcha Edwards demonstrates the meaning of Reconciliation to the visiting school students.

Kutcha and Dan.

After the opening celebrations I witnessed a group of children showing much interest in Bindi Cole's video work We All Need Forgiveness. This black and white image is my impression of the original colour installation by the artist.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations

Friday 13 February 2015 marks the 7th Anniversary of the National Apology to Australia's First Peoples.

In 2013 I attended the Commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the National Apology in Melbourne. Members of Indigenous communities, school students and reconciliation supporters came together at Federation Square on the morning of Wednesday 13 February.

The Apology Speech was screened, students displayed Proud Race bollards and there was live music from the Kutcha Edwards Trio. It was a memorable morning to show support to members of the Stolen Generations.

Eva Jo Edwards speaks.

Kutcha Edwards.

Events commemorating the Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations will be held around Australia. For Victoria visit Reconciliation Victoria : http://www.reconciliationvic.org.au/calendar/anniversary-of-the-national-apology-to-the-stolen-generations.php