The backstory: Finding storytellers
Our second Darwin show illustrates our efforts at reaching out to three local organisations. Here is the back-story.
It began with a feedback from from our previous show, three months earlier. Andrea Van Der Werf wrote how she knew Clement from the refugee centre, but had only ever listened to him speak English. When she watched him share a story in his native Ma’di (South Sudan), she saw a whole new side of him, a confident and fluent side, a person who was knowledgeable about his culture. In a follow-up conversation, we speculated about the possibility of storytelling as part of the program at the refugee centre. But first, school holidays were coming up, and Andrea recruited me to run a program of language games and storytelling at the refugee centre.
Connecting with Safi: One of the participants was Safi, who arrived in Australia from Malawi 3 months earlier. She had a story to tell, one she had learnt from a school teacher. Little did she realise she would soon be starring in a show in Darwin’s main theatre venue.
Connecting with Kwame: Towards the end of our holiday program, the director of Melaleuca, Kwame Selormey, dropped in. I asked if he would share a story with us in his mother tongue, and he agreed on the spot. He gave such an engaging performance I knew he had to be part of our forthcoming show! (Postscript: Kwame has gone on to emcee a show in 2017, and to host a language party at the refugee centre in 2019.)
Connecting with Bong: My early months in Darwin saw me visiting the local arts and culture organisations, including Darwin Community Arts, headed by Bong Ramilo. Bong has his own creative practice, fusing traditional and progressive song styles from the Philippines. Bong graciously agreed to help us get our storytelling program off the ground in Darwin, and he shared one of his own compositions that spoke of his own early experience of coming to Darwin.
Connecting with Teresa: Teresa is an old friend and colleague, and champion of technology for the Irish Language. Teresa happened to be visiting Darwin around the time of the show, and so I twisted her arm… she was delighted to support this program.
Kwame Selormey (Ewe)
Teresa Lynn (Irish)
Safi Sango (Swahili)
Christian (Bong) Ramilo (Tagalog)
Audience Feedback
After the show we handed out evaluation forms, and asked the audience to sum up the show in a word or short phrase. Here’s what they wrote:
fantastic, filling up and overflowing, wonder, awakening, respectful, unexpectedly enjoyable and inspiring, a revelation, illuminating and inspiring, moving and compelling, really beautiful and important, I loved the vulnerability of both the performers and the audience, thank you this was really wonderful, let’s have more of these please, restorative!, healing, giving, honest, educational, surprising, a privilege to be part of, engaging, warming, excellent, engaging in mystery, awe, enriching, all stories had different angles… wanted more!
–Steven Bird
The Details
Where: Browns Mart Theatre, Darwin
When: 22 October, 2016
Format: Freestanding event
Storytellers: Kwame Selormey (Ewe), Teresa Lynn (Irish), Christian (Bong) Ramilo (Tagalog), Safi Sango (Swahili)
Production: Steven Bird, Andrea Van Der Werf, Hannah Harper
Sponsorship: Darwin Community Arts
Photography: Steven Bird
Program: pdf
Further Information
https://darwinhigh.nt.edu.au/news/treasure-langauage-storytelling/
Melaleuca Refugee Centre
Darwin Community Arts
Teresa Lynn’s TEDx talk: How social media breathes life into the Irish language