Water

It’s cold outside, but inside the Wheeler Centre, we’re gathering for four consecutive Mondays of Indigenous storytelling.

Oral storytelling is almost a lost art in these days of blogs, high-speed broadband and e-books. But it’s a rare pleasure to pause in our busy lives and immerse ourselves in the magic and power of the spoken word. Australia has a rich oral tradition, which we’ll rekindle in these evenings, with the crackling atmosphere of fireside tales.

Bunjilaka curator Genevieve Grieves and Miles Franklin shortlisted writer Tony Birch will curate – and co-host – a series of intimate evenings around the themes of Country, Sky, Water and Fire.

These elements are rich sources for creating meaningful stories that engage with the Australian landscape, either personally or politically. The stories will be a mix of traditional and contemporary, reflecting the diversity of concerns and inspirations for Indigenous writers today.

Our hosts will be joined by a hand-picked selection of superb storytellers, including both performers and writers.

For Water, we’ll be joined by Alexis Wright, Daniel Browning and Dylan Coleman.

Creek

we were the children
robbed of music
water, air & blood
the creek
a barb-wired heart
beats for us

Tony Birch