Women's Stories from the Heart


Inspired by the success of our all-women’s show in Oakland in 2016, we decided to have another one, playing on the idea of “Mother Language” for International Mother Language Day. This was our first time to try an outside venue, since we hoped to be able to have stories around a real fire. In the end we were unable to get a permit for a fire, and used a ring of flares instead, surrounding us with fire.

Our storytellers hailed from across the world: Latin America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Their stories were just as diverse: folklore, biography, history… Two stories were particularly touching. Sandar shared in Burmese about her grandmother’s dementia and how this wasn’t recognised in Burma at the time, and how it influenced Sandar to study social work decades later. Tagreed told the story of her family’s flight from Syria, and the gratitude that lay behind her decision to set up a food stall, Flavours of Damascus. There wasn’t a dry eye in the “house” by the end of the show.

After the show, one of our audience members shared the following feedback:

I so enjoyed Sunday night! What a delightfully refreshing line up of local women from all over the world sharing stories that celebrate their mothers, grandmothers and their languages. I know how much work goes into producing events like this and it really showed in the relaxed, intimate way the stories fit together. 

–Steven Bird

The Details

Where: Durack Community Centre, Palmerston
When: 25 February 2018 (for International Mother Language Day)
Format: Freestanding event
Storytellers: Luna Estefania (Mexican Spanish), Maria Ramilo (Cebuano), Sandar Tun (Burmese), Serena Namarnyilk (Kunwinjku), Taghreed Hadadeen (Levantine Arabic)
Production: Steven Bird, Bong Ramilo, Nic Borgese
Sponsorship: Darwin Community Arts, City of Palmerston
Photography: Pasquale Tassone, Steven Bird
Program: pdf


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