Genre: Spoken
Word, Theatre, Dance
Location:
Gathering Ground
Address: Everleigh St,
Redfern
Date: 16 November
2006 to 18 November 2006
Tickets: Free
Phone Bookings:
(02) 9550 2744
Online Bookings: http://gatheringground.org
It’s an understatement to say the Block, the cultural
heartland of Sydney’s
indigenous community, has an image problem.
“Most people are afraid to come to the Block and that’s
a stereotype we need to break,” says 21-year-old artist Willurei
Kirkbright-Burney, daughter of the state’s first indigenous MP, Linda Burney.
“So many people, even people associated with my friends
who are my own age, say, ‘Oh, I’m afraid to go down to the Block.’ That’s
silly.
“There are some problems in this area – there are
problems that exist within Aboriginal communities all over this country – but
it doesn’t necessarily mean that you walk down the street and you’re going to
get bashed or mugged or have your iPod stolen.”
Kirkbright-Burney is among a multitude of artists, black and
white, who have created the arts extravaganza Gathering Ground, which will
unfold at the Block over three nights. Acrobats, dancers, rappers, musicians
and theatre and film directors have spent the past month creating their works
in collaboration with about 40 community kids, brought in from schools and
drop-in centres four afternoons a week.
All their hard work will be seen during an intimate
90-minute walking tour of the notorious neighbourhood. As the sun sets, each
evening’s audience will gather at the top of Eveleigh Street.
It’s a spot where passers-by are often asked for things – on
the day of this interview, a woman shuffles over to ask, “Hey, sis, got a
smoko?” Despite moments like this, the community here is proud and
close-knit; they look after each other in ways that should be the envy of other
communities.
“There are heaps of positive things about this place
and this community, like the children who live here and the family connections,
the closeness,” Kirkbright-Burney says.
Indigenous director Allan Clarke is looking forward to his
role as one of two tour guides showing outsiders around the Block. The
24-year-old learned a lot about being theatrical in PACT Youth Theatre’s Step
Up program, where he was mentored by indigenous theatre gurus Wesley Enoch and
Kirk Page. Step Up was a segue to Gathering Ground, with many of the artists
involved, including Kirkbright-Burney, moving on to this event.
Clarke says at the Eveleigh
Street entrance to the event, “we want to
plaster old Black Theatre posters on the wall as if there is a show happening
and we want to have a nod to the freedom rides with a mock-up of the bus and a
picture of the original troupe that went out”.
The audience will move to the grass in front of Redfern
Community Centre, where there will be a smoking ceremony and welcome to
country. The procession will move on, with Clarke and a fellow guide,
indigenous activist Aletha Penrith, giving their insight into important sites
such as the Murawina hostel.
Kirkbright-Burney’s handiwork will also emanate from one of
the Block’s derelict houses.
“I’m doing a sound installation – the sounds of people
living in a house – to symbolise the families that used to live here, and the
houses that have been knocked down,” she says.
The tour includes a stop at Mundines Gym, home base of
boxing champ Anthony “Choc” Mundine.
Gathering Ground co-director Karen Therese says: “It’s
going to be presented like Jim Sharman’s boxing tent, with an old carny feel at
the front of the gym and then we’ll invite people up to the gym. There’ll be a
boxing presentation and young people doing acrobatics.”
The tour will move along Vine Street, where things will get louder
and louder.
“It’ll pick up in the protest feel and Allan and Aletha
will be getting on megaphones and getting people to chant,” Therese says.
The dramatic vibe continues at the basketball court, where
Wire MC and Phreaze will lead a hip-hop battle.
The tour will return to the front of the community centre
where there’ll be an indigenous fashion parade and a screening of
Kirkbright-Burney’s video of kids talking about the Block.
“It’ll be about [how] they feel about the area, what’s
great about it and how they’d feel if the Block didn’t exist. I wanted to
capture that there should be hope in our future, not just bleakness.”
http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts-reviews/gathering-ground/2006/11/13/1163266441664.html