EKPHRASIS: MYTH MAKING WITH IMAGES - WORKSHOP

Sunday 18 Aug 11:00 - 14:00
Entry fee: from $15



There is no right or wrong way. Take a deeper look at how you access and free your creative self in this intensive play/creative writing workshop with Mararo Wangai (WA).

Mararo Wangai is a Kenyan-born independent artist (writer and actor), and media graduate with a passionate interest in diverse forms of storytelling. He was worked with Perth Festival, Melbourne Theatre Company, Black Swan Theatre Co, Belvoir Theatre Co, Yirra Yaakin Theatre Co and Centre for Stories.

His work strives to avoid simplistic narratives, assess society critically and tries to remain adaptive, organic and alive through its development, until the eventual encounter with an audience. He is attracted to stories that deal with the struggles of humanity, and creating work that not only tests his craft both in writing and performance but work that pushes him and his audience away from comfort zones, expectations and the mundane, into the nuanced unknown where we may all learn some deeper lesson for the next chapter.


ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE.

Sun 18 Aug 16:00 – 18:00
Entry fee: from $15



What role can joy play in mobilising populations across digital platforms? How do we reduce the noise of an algorithm-driven existence?

Join Emele Ugavule (Aotearoa) for a workshop that addresses artificial intelligence, story sovereignty and the digital divide to dream up ecologies of justice. Emele Ugavule is a Tokelauan Fijian storyteller. Her research and practice are in Oceanic Indigenous-led storytelling.

Emele Ugavule is a Tokelauan Uvean Fijian storyteller. Her research and practice area of interest is Oceanic Indigenous-led storytelling, exploring the themes of temporality, memory, kinship and knowledge transmission.

A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts, she has worked with various artists and organisations across Australia and the Pacific including Warner Music, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Sydney Opera House, Netflix ANZ & Mad Ones Films, Culture Factory, Playwriting Australia, Mangere Arts Centre, Monkey Baa Theatre Co, La Boite Theatre Co, Belvoir St, Sydney Theatre Co, Arts Centre Melbourne, Art Gallery of NSW, Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture & Pacific Studies. Emele is the host of the Unravel & Solwata Kin podcasts, Creative director of Talanoa and the founder of Studio Kiin, an Indigenous-led creative studio and collective where story sovereignty, kinship and healing is priority.


EMBODIED PRACTICES: Tending to the roots
RECONNECT WITH BODILY WISDOM.

Tue 20 Aug 18:00 - 20:30
Entry fee: from $15



Belonging, connectivity and how we make sense of the world ruptures and fractures across a lifetime. Embodiment invites us to reconnect with the body’s wisdom and generate a sense of safety so we can be fully present in the web of relation that includes ourselves, others, the environment, the societies we reside in, and the times we are flowing through. This workshop is an invitation to explore varying embodied practices including conversation, storytelling, visualisation, breathwork and movement. It is through these practices that we may cultivate a sense of belonging within and with those in our shared space.

Makanaka Tuwe (Aotearoa) is a researcher, storyteller and cultural producer whose practice flows at the intersections of embodied care, collective wellness and social justice. Her work explores the themes of liberation, worldbuilding and relational health.


READING ROOM: KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

Sat 24 Aug 13:00 – 15:00
Free

“PART OF BEING A REVOLUTIONARY IS CREATING A VISION THAT IS MORE HUMANE. THAT IS MORE FUN, TOO. THAT IS MORE LOVING. IT’S REALLY WORKING TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.” – ASSATA SHAKUR.

This reading room session will be guided by texts and prompts co-curated by Vuma Phiri, to facilitate an open discussion.


Vuma Phiri (WA) Reading Room Co-Curator, engages with the stories around her as a form of entertainment, learning and cultivate empathy. She created the AfroHeritage Book Club at the Centre for Stories to bring other avid readers along with her and share the works of Africa’s finest writers. Her writing has been published in Black Ballad UK, SBS Voices, and in the Centre for Stories Anthology, Under the Paving Stones, and the Beach.


THE FILM PROGRAM

Sun 25 Aug 18:00 – 20:00
Free / Closing Event

A BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF FRIENDSHIP AND HOPE.

The joy persists Film Program has been curated by Sundus Saalax (WA), Founder of Tha Film Project – a program that centres underrepresented voices and dismantles colonial narratives through the power of film.

By amplifying Black stories we foster a space for dialogue and cultural exchange, enrich an understanding of identity and ignite new avenues for intellectual exploration.

Talking About Trees (2019)
Documentary

Four, veteran members of the Sudanese Film Club embark on a journey to revive an old, abandoned outdoor cinema, hoping it will inspire a return of cinema-going culture in Sudan. In the crisis-ridden country, the four friends encounter insurmountable resistance.