ANTaR ACT – June 2019 bulletin

NAIDOC week is coming up on 7-14 July – this bulletin list many events planned in Canberra, including a discussion hosted by ANTaR ACT. We hope that you can get involved to both celebrate culture and engage with the issues raised. This year the theme is Voice. Treaty. Truth. Lets work together for a shared future. For more information, see the NAIDOC week website.

Thanks to everyone who came by our stall at Reconciliation in the Park on Reconciliation Day, Monday 27 May – and a special welcome to all the new subscribers to this bulletin.

ANTaR ACT NAIDOC Week forum – Monday 8 July

What do we mean by reconciliation?
Following on from Reconciliation Day, please join us in conversation with Co-Chairs of the ACT Reconciliation Council, Genevieve Jacobs and Chris Bourke, to reflect on what we’ve learnt about reconciliation. This will be an informal forum, held in NAIDOC Week, on Monday 8 July, from 6-7.30pm, at King O’Malleys, in the Castle Room.
For background to the conversation, see this article on the ANTaR ACT website. We also have a separate notice about the event on our website.
No need to RSVP. Any questions, please email info@antaract.org.au.

This forum will replace the regular ANTaR ACT meeting for July. ANTaR ACT will also have stalls at both the NAIDOC Family Day on Sunday 7 July and NAIDOC in the North on Saturday 13 July. See below for details about these days. Please drop by and say hello.

The next regular monthly meeting for ANTaR ACT will be Monday 12 August, in the Castle Room at King O’Malleys, 6 – 7.30pm. All are welcome to come along to contribute to our advocacy and other activities, including plans for our annual David Hunter Memorial Lecture.

Events

Indigenous arts and culture workshops
Each Sunday in June and from Monday to Friday during NAIDOC Week
National Museum of Australia
Cost (per workshop): $55 to $65; bookings and more information at the NMA website
Join the NMA for a series of workshops led by Indigenous artists and creatives to explore a new installation of fibre-art figures by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers in The Studio. The installation brings to life the story of the Seven Sisters. Engage with the life-sized figures and the songline narrative through different mediums including visual and fibre arts, poetry, music and Indigenous language.
* Weaving with Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Jordan, Sunday 23 June 11am–1pm & 2–4pm; Thursday 11 July 9.30–11.30am
* Singing to the Sisters with Paul House, Sunday 30 June 2–4pm; Friday 12 July 2–4pm
* Star stories with Paul Collis, Monday 8 July 2–4pm
* Sun printing with Judith Crispin, Tuesday 9 July 10am–3pm
* Ngunawal language with Tyronne Bell, Wednesday 10 July 3–5pm


Image credit: Minyma Punu Kungkarangkalpa (Sister no. 3, detail), 2018, by Yaritji Young assisted by Maringka Tunkin. National Museum of Australia

Tour – Indigenous experiences of Parliament House
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, 2.30 – 3.30pm – current to Saturday 31 August
Parliament House, Marble Foyer, ground floor
Free, bookings required here
Hear the stories of Indigenous parliamentarians and staff, explore the site history of Parliament House, gain insights into how Australia’s First Peoples are participating in the nation’s democratic processes, and enjoy significant artworks from the Parliament House Art Collection by celebrated Indigenous artists.

Listening Space: Sharing Stories
2 – 4pm, Sunday 23 June
The Friends (Quaker) Meeting House cnr Condamine and Bent Streets, Turner
To help with refreshments, please RSVP by Friday 21 June to Gedda Fortey on gtfortey@gmail.com or David Purnell – davidpurnell68@gmail.com
The Committee on Racial Equality invite you to join them to their next gathering, where Dr Noritta Morseu-Diop will talk about her vision to establish a Global Peace Village, a culturally safe place where First Nations People, people from all over the world including Rainbow people can come together in a spirit of Peace, Love, Respect and Acceptance. Find out more here.
There will be a break for refreshments after the presentation, followed by an opportunity for questions. At the end of the gathering will be an opportunity to make a donation to the Purple Bus Mobile Dialysis Unit based in Alice Springs.

Digital Curation in the Indigenous Data Network
10am-11am, Wednesday 26 June
National Library of Australia, Theatre, Lower Ground 1
Free, information and bookings at NLA website
Joint event with Digital Preservation and AIATSIS.
Join Professor Marcia Langton, Dr James Rose and Dr Len Smith as they discuss Digital Curation in the Indigenous Data Network. Based at the University of Melbourne, the Indigenous Data Network was created in 2017. Its dual purpose is to strengthen local Indigenous communities’ agency in managing their data and to strengthen policy and decision making.

NAIDOC Community Art Exhibition Launch
3 – 4pm, Friday 28 June
Community Services#1 Gallery, 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah
This exhibition features artworks from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees in the Alexander Maconochie Centre. The Prison Artworks Exhibition will run from 1 to 31 July.

ACT NAIDOC Awards Ball
6.30pm, Saturday 29 June
National Arboretum
SOLD OUT
The Community Awards evening is a celebration and recognition of achievements of outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from across the ACT and Districts community.
** This year the National NAIDOC Awards ceremony will be held in Canberra, on Saturday 6 July **

Little faces at the NMA (hosted by National Portrait Gallery)
9.30am and 10.30am, Thursday 4 and Friday 5 July
National Museum of Australia
Cost: $12 per adult, bookings at Portrait Gallery website
Little children (6 months to 3 years) and their parent/carer are invited to join a Learning Facilitator for playful activities. Over winter, we will visit the National Museum of Australia and look at Minyma Punu Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters Tree Women), by the Tjampi Desert Weavers. There will be singing, movement and drawing.

Voices for Change Seminar
6pm-7.30pm, Friday 5 July
National Library of Australia, Theatre, Lower Ground 1
Free, for information and bookings see NLA website
Join Dr Elizabeth Burrows, Shannan Dodson and other speakers for a seminar about the struggles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in campaigning for their rights and recognition of their cultures.

Symposium: Our Voice, Our Truth
8am – 6pm, Friday 5 July
National Museum of Australia
Cost $100 plus booking fee; bookings at Eventbrite
The Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute are presenting a symposium led by Indigenous organisations. Explore good Governance through strong leadership with keynote speakers Michelle Deshong (CEO Australian Indigenous Governance Institute), Andrea Kelly (Assistant Secretary, culture branch Prime Minister and Cabinet) and engage with our expert panellists from across the country while enjoying the symposium. Then join us for a networking event complete with live entertainment in the stunning National Museum of Australia.

ACT NAIDOC Family Day
11am – 4pm, Sunday 7 July
University of Canberra
For more information, see the ACT NAIDOC Facebook page.
Presented by the Canberra and District NAIDOC Aboriginal Corporation
Celebrate NAIDOC week with entertainment, stalls, rides, kids activities, Indigenous arts and crafts.

Mobile Studio: Earth, Sky and Skin
10.30am – 2pm, Sunday 7 to Thursday 11 July
National Gallery of Australia
Free, no bookings required, for more information see NGA website
In celebration of NAIDOC Week, drop in for creative activities and storytelling in the Learning Gallery exhibition Body Language (all ages, children to be accompanied).

NAIDOC Week Community Celebration
11am – 2.30pm, Tuesday 9 July
Woden Town Square
Hosted by 12 Canberra community organisations, for more information see the NAIDOC website.
A free day of fun for everyone with live music, performances, displays, children’s workshop, hot lunch, stalls and more.

Indigenous plant use walks
10.30 am – 11.30 am, Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 July
National Botanic Gardens, meet at Visitor Centre
Cost $5, bookings essential, for information and bookings see the ANBG website
Join a ranger and enjoy an easy walk along our Aboriginal Plant Use Trail. You’ll discover how Indigenous people from across Australia used plants for food and medicine, to make tools and weapons, and for ceremonial practice. This is a great activity for the whole family.

Gugan Gulwan NAIDOC Youth Awards and Children’s Disco
6 – 9:30pm, Thursday 11 July
Corinna Ballroom, Southern Cross Club, Woden
Free event, register through Eventbrite
Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation is hosting its annual NAIDOC Youth Awards and Children’s Disco to celebrate the positive achievements of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in the ACT region.

Paul House and Tom Rowney at CMAG
1–2pm, Friday 12 July (Please join us for tea or coffee before the talk at 12:30pm.)
Canberra Museum and Gallery, cnr London Circuit and City Square, Canberra City
For more information, see the CMAG website
Join Ngambri-Ngunnawal custodian Paul House and glass artist Tom Rowney as they talk about the process of collaborating to create the glass didjeridu currently on display in the Ramp Showcase. After the talk, enjoy an exclusive opportunity to listen to the sound of this work as Paul House plays the didjeridu in the gallery.

NAIDOC in the North
11am-2pm Saturday 13 July
Gungahlin Town Square, Corner Hibberson and Gozzard Streets
Copresented by Belconnen Arts Centre, Gungahlin College and Ginninderry Community
For more information, see the Belconnen Arts Centre website.
NAIDOC in the North is a celebration of the strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through songs, stories, dance, art and ceremony. Everyone is welcome at this free, family-friendly event which will feature children’s activities and entertainment throughout the day.

Inspiring Voices: Ella
2pm, Sunday 14 July
National Film and Sound Archive, ARC Cinema
For information and bookings see NFSA website
The NFSA celebrates NAIDOC Week with films about two inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander figures, Adam Goodes (12 July, sold out) and Ella Havelka.
From the Dubbo Ballet Studio to the Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and a spot with acclaimed Indigenous dance company Bangarra, Ella Havelka was a rising star of the dance world. In 2012, she became the first Aboriginal dancer to join the Australian Ballet in its 50-year history.
Douglas Watkin’s riveting documentary follows Ella through the challenges of professional dance, in Australia and on tour to Beijing. Woven throughout is a moving personal journey of self expression as Ella begins to reconnect with her Aboriginal culture. Followed by Q&A with Ella Havelka.

Bangarra: 30th Anniversary Season
7.30pm, Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 July (also 1.30pm matinee on 20 July)
Canberra Theatre
Information and bookings on the website.
Bangarra: 30 years of sixty five thousand is Bangarra Dance Theatre’s landmark 30th anniversary season. This diverse program of three contemporary works displays the passionate storytelling, rich artistry and deep community connections that have made Bangarra the premiere Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company in Australia.

Winter Tales with Magistrate Louise Taylor
2pm-4pm, Sunday 21 July
National Library of Australia, Conference Room, Level 4
Cost $20, information and bookings at NLA website
Magistrate Louise Taylor reflects on becoming the ACT’s first Aboriginal judicial officer, her life and career.

My Urrwai
10.30am and 8pm, Friday 23 August
Performed in the Bicentennial Hall, next to The Q
Cost from $25 to $49, early bird discount to 23 July; information and bookings at The Q website
Ghenoa Gela – little sister, daughter, granddaughter, comic, teacher, fighter, gold medallist, air guitarist, charmer, TV star, Torres Strait mainlander, walking political statement – has made a show. This is your invitation into the complex political, social, colonial and cultural expectations she navigates every day. Laughter and deep reflection go hand in hand in this unique and intimate story told through movement and words. My Urrwai, supported by stellar team including director Rachael Maza and dramaturg Kate Champion, is a revealing reflection on and celebration of cultural and familial inheritance, and an unflinching comment on race relations in Australia.
Tour produced by Performing Lines supported by Ilbijerri Theatre

Spinifex Gum
8pm, Tuesday 10 September
The Playhouse, Canberra Theatre centre
Information and bookings on the website
Musical snapshots of life in the Pilbara, north Western Australia, performed by the lush voices of Marliya of Gondwana Choirs, young Indigenous women singing in English and Yindjibarndi. Joining the choir are Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill of The Cat Empire, who wrote and produced the music, and special guest Emma Donovan.

Exhibitions

Body Language
To Sunday 3 November
Learning Gallery, National Gallery of Australia
For more information see the NGA website
Body Language is the first exhibition in the new Learning Gallery and explores the identity of Australia’s diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities. Through story, dance, song, kinship, carvings, painting and markings on bodies and objects, it seeks to highlight the rich complexity of Australia’s Indigenous cultural expression.

The Studio: Collections Up Close: Tjanpi figures display
To Sunday 4 August 2019, daily, 9am to 5pm (closed during workshops)
National Museum of Australia
For more information see NMA website
Explore the story of the Seven Sisters in a new installation of life-sized fibre-art figures by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers.

While You Were Sleeping
To Sunday 23 June; 10am-6pm weekdays and 11am-5pm on weekends and public holidays
For more information, see their website.
aMBUSH Gallery opened its doors at Kambri, the Australian National University’s new precinct, in May with a culturally significant inaugural exhibition featuring the work of contemporary First Nations artists from across Australia.

Barka the Forgotten River – Badger Bates and Justine Muller
To Sunday 21 July; 10am – 4pm Tuesday – Sunday
Belconnen Arts Centre Foyer Gallery, 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen
For more information, see their website.
With works spanning nearly three decades, Barka the Forgotten River is a timeline of the love artists Badger Bates and Justine Muller have for the Barka, or Darling River – “our mother and the blood in our veins” – and its people, the Barkandji.

NAIDOC Prison Artworks Exhibition
From Monday 1 to Wednesday 31 July, 9am to 5pm weekdays
Community Services#1 Gallery, 63 Boolimba Cres, Narrabundah
This exhibition features artworks from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees in the Alexander Maconochie Centre.

Country Illuminated
From Tuesday 2 July 5:30pm to Friday 19 July
Belconnen Community Gallery, Belconnen Community Centre, Swanson Court, Belconnen
For more information see the NAIDOC website or BCS website.
Leah Brideson is a descendant of the Kamilaroi people from the Gunnedah region. Leah is a self-taught Contemporary Aboriginal Artist based in Canberra, ACT. Her artworks are a ‘Visual Yarn’ – she paints stories from her knowledge of country, her culture and her dreaming. This series explores seasonal change in the sense of the way country is illuminated throughout the seasons, the physical change in the environment and the importance of Leah’s connection to country across a multitude of landscapes.

My Voice for My Country
To Sunday 11 August, open 9am – 5pm every day (extended hours on sitting days)
Parliament House
For more information see their website
My Voice for My Country showcases a selection of electoral education, information and promotional materials from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) collection — produced by the Australian Electoral Commission for a diverse range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences. The exhibition is a powerful record of the evolving engagement of Indigenous people in Australia’s democratic system.

Indigenous Design Now
To Sunday 11 August, open 9am – 5pm every day (extended hours on sitting days)
Parliament House, Exhibition area, level 1
For more information see their website
This exhibition showcases the depth and breadth of Indigenous contemporary design in fields including graphic and interior design, fashion, jewellery, sculpture, textiles, architecture and furniture.

Carriberrie: VR Experience
To Sunday 21 July, 11am-2pm daily
National Film and Sound Archive
Put on your virtual reality headset and let David Gulpilil and Jack Charles guide you on a journey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander song and dance. You’ll encounter the contemporary dancers of Bangarra performing at the Sydney Opera House, The Lonely Boys rocking out in Alice Springs, and performers of songs and dances used to share knowledge and culture for thousands of years. From Uluru to Cairns and the Torres Strait, this is an intimate and immersive experience unlike any other.

____________________________________________

If you know of an event or issue that you would like to see covered in this bulletin, please email us at info@antaract.org.au.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.