For most students who catch the train to uni, you will get off at Redfern Station. Right opposite the train station is The Block – the “notorious” patch around Eveleigh St that boasts a strong Aboriginal community. The Block is often in the news for all the wrong reasons: the death of TJ Hickey, the Redfern Riots and the redevelopment of the area.
If you are coming to Sydney Uni – know that you are coming onto Gadigal land. You owe it to the traditional owners of this land to get your facts right about the community living in The Block. The way to do this is to see Gathering Ground, an innovative, amazing production by Redfern Community Centre and PACT Youth Theatre bringing together over 40 of The Block’s children to tell their stories.
I went to see Gathering Ground last night and I was stunned. Student lefties and academics often talk about “Indigenous Rights” and “Aboriginal Affairs” but we don’t actually get a sensibility for what that means beyond the classroom or news clippings. Gathering Ground aims to bring down those barriers by inviting us onto Gadigal land for a tour of The Block’s famous sites – including Mundines Gym and the basketball court.
The performance-tour includes acrobatics, multimedia, song, dance, rap duels, protest and, of course, traditional ceremonies. This is a living breathing show for a living breathing community that leaves you both inspired and deeply angry at the same time.
In the middle of urban Sydney lie strewn streets and torn-up houses that mirror scenes from developing nations. And yet the kids come forward to share their dreams, sometimes through theatre as honest as a post-fashion show Q&A where they are asked their names, ages and hopes for the future. The cheers were deafening when 13-year-old young women confidently claimed their desire to be lawyers, models, vets and paediatricians!
It is not polished; there are beautiful fumbles here and there. But this is truly inspirational performance. A MUST SEE.
Gathering Ground: History Ceremony Protest
Gathering Place: Across the road from Redfern Station
Time: 7:30pm
Remaining Shows: Friday 17, Saturday 18 November
Check out the Sydney Morning Herald review.
Comments
My comment is about how i think it is realy good you are getting our young black children involve with occasions like this! i am aboriginal my-self and i feel the block is very lucky to have such a big Indigenous community, because where i am from there isn't much aboriginal activity at all...I encourage dont let occasions like these stop because our children need them!!!
Posted by: Tennyson Strong | March 12, 2007 03:31 PM