Bunjilaka redevelopment blog

Updates in future

1 August, 2011 15:20 by Bliss

We are entering an exciting new phase in the exhibition production as our developed design takes shape over the next three months. It’s the fun part of exhibition development putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. We are also gearing up for travelling around Victoria on further Community Engagement for developing specific content.

We're retiring this blog, so for future redevelopment news, check the Bunjilaka Facebook page and the main Bunjilaka website. Look out soon for an opportunity to sign up for our community newsletter through the Bunjilaka Redevelopment page.

This weekend in Melbourne

20 May, 2011 17:09 by Lucy

Hi there,

Research, content development and design are chugging along rapidly. We’ve recently had some interesting feedback from our audience evaluation process, which is informing how we approach the new exhibition, and we continue to narrow down object and image selection from the huge array of wonderful historic and contemporary cultural material to choose from.

We wanted to highlight a few events coming up this weekend that we’re really excited about. Tonight is the Melbourne opening of the 2011 Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival, being launched with the screening of Beck Cole’s recent release, ‘Here I Am.’ Bunjilaka is proud to be involved in bringing this festival to Melbourne, and we’re all going to be hanging around the cinema this weekend, so check out the Message Sticks website to find out what other films are being toured nationally this year, and come along! All films are free!

http://www.blackfellafilms.com.au/messagesticks/

Of course this weekend is also The Long Walk, coinciding with the AFL’s Indigenous round. You can check it out here:

http://www.thelongwalk.com.au/News-Events/Latest-News/Register-now-for-The-Long-Walk-2011

Hope to see you at one (or all) of these events,

Lucy

Andrew Bolt on Trial

29 April, 2011 08:53 by Dave

Hi all,

It’s been a while since I posted. Things are moving along rapidly here. The team continues to expand and the designers’ drawings are coming through thick and fast! Steve—our artist-in-residence and photographer extraordinaire—will be posting some photos of us all hard work soon.

In the meantime, I just wanted to see if you’ve all been following the Andrew Bolt trial that’s been going on the last couple of weeks. The Herald-Sun columnist and blogger is in hot water over a number of blog posts in which he questioned the Aboriginal identities of a number of Indigenous leaders and artists. His posts accuse a number of leading Indigenous activists and artists of “choosing” to identify as Aboriginal for personal and professional gain. Among those that Bolt targets are artist Bindi Cole, law professor Larissa Behrendt, academic and Yorta Yorta activist Wayne Atkinson, and his brother Native Title Services Victoria chair Graham Atkinson.

Bolt’s posts imply that Aboriginal identity is solely related to biological or racial categorisation. For communities and Aboriginal people themselves, Aboriginality is a much deeper and much more complex question, related to cultural backgrounds, familial and community ties, and self-identification. Bolt has been taken to court by nine Aboriginal leaders and artists who have taken exception to his approach to Aboriginal identity, and he has conceded that he made some major factual errors. He does, however, stand by his claim. The nine claimants are not seeking financial compensation, but rather are asking Bolt and his newspaper for a formal apology, and for the blog posts to be removed.

Here are some articles around the trial. Many commentators, both from the left and right, argue that the outcome will have major implications on journalism and free speech in the press. Others claim that if Bolt is found guilty, it will help promote the complexity of Aboriginal identity and all the cultural, historic, and political factors that influence its formation today.

Dylan Bird in the Sydney Morning Herald:

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/aboriginal-identity-goes-beyond-skin-colour-20110406-1d40r.html

Aboriginal responses on crikey.com.au:

http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/04/08/aboriginal-identity-i-never-had-a-choice/

Michael Brull on ABC’s The Drum website:

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/45746.html

Chris Berg in The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/silenced-in-court-20101002-161x9.html

Open letter from Kungarakan & Gurindji woman Dr. Sue Stanton:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2011/04/12/an-open-letter-to-andrew-bolt-from-a-%E2%80%9Chalf-caste%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cyella-fella%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Chalf-breed%E2%80%9D-kungarakan-gurindji-woman/

Also check out this interview with Wathaurung artist and photographer Bindi Cole on how she understands her identity. The interview appears in the upcoming exhibition at the Immigration Museum, 'Identity: Yours, Mine, Ours'. Don't forget to click onto their website to see what they're up to.

Let us know what you think. Do you think this is a matter of free speech? Is cultural identity more than skin colour and how you look? Do you have stories to share about your own experiences? 

Dave

New Photographs - Eliza Gregory

16 February, 2011 14:21 by Lucy

A portrait by Eliza Gregory.
Image: Eliza Gregory
Source: Eliza Gregory

What have you given up in order to merge with mainstream culture?

And what have you held onto, in order to feel like yourself?

These two questions form the basis of a new large-scale, Melbourne-based project by American artist Eliza Gregory.

In Eliza’s new exhibition, ‘The Local’, responses to the above questions are exhibited alongside photographic portraits of Melbourne community members. In putting the show together, she has partnered with non-profit organisations InfoXchange, Carringbush Adult Education, and the Collingwood Housing Estates Arts Committee.

She says: "I find that for some people, the answers to these questions are simple and easy. For others they are complicated and emotional. But the answers are always interesting."

Eliza says the show itself is an extension of the art. "What I want most is to communicate about the experience of getting to know the people in your community. So the show is about that, but it also facilitates that at the same time."

You can see Eliza’s new photographs at the Yarra Sculpture Space in Abbotsford from March 11-27, 2011.

Or find out more at www.elizagregory.com

And watch a video about the project at:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/821341500/the-local-holding-on-and-letting-go

Yarra Sculpture Space
117 Vere Street
Abotsford, VIC 3067
Telephone: (03) 9419 6177
Open 12pm-5pm Wednesday to Sunday

Boon Wurrung Ngargee Sunset Ceremony

10 February, 2011 15:43 by Lucy De Kretser

Last Saturday, some of us Bunjilaka mob braved the floods and headed over to St Kilda for the Boon Wurrung Ngargee Sunset Ceremony, held in the O'Donnell Gardens. We were absolutely blown away by what turned out to be a truly amazing (and rainless!) ceremony.

Boon Wurrung Ngargee was designed to reclaim and celebrate local Boon Wurrung stories, Lore and Language through new songs and dance. Thirty young Indigenous dancers and their families from the Frankston, Footscray and Fitzroy communities worked with Senior Elders and professional artists to create the contemporary ceremony, designed to light up the park, dance up country and sing up Old Lore into NOW, which it did with great success!

It was the first time in 170 years that these stories had been sung in Language on Country, and participants pulled out all the stops to create an extraordinary, highly memorable, and deeply moving experience for all. We hope you enjoy the pics below!

Aunty Carolyn, Jacob and Nikki
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum Victoria

Female Elders singing in Language and playing the possum skin drums
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaFire is central to the Ceremony
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaUncle Larry and a little fella in the foreground
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaElders playing the drums, including Manager of Bunjilaka, Caroline Martin, in paint to awaken the Spirit
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaUncle Larry
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaThe women and young girls do a beautiful dance while their Elders sing
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaThe boys and men do their dance
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaYoung'uns
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum VictoriaToooo cute.
Image: Genevieve Grieves
Source: Museum Victoria

Warrnambool Memorial to Aboriginal Servicemen and Women

10 February, 2011 15:04 by Lucy

Late last year I attended a ceremony in Warrnambool to honour the contributions of Aboriginal servicemen and women from the South West of Victoria in Australia's war efforts. A smoking ceremony, dance performance, and speeches marked the unveiling of a new memorial plaque to Aboriginal servicemen and women, which is situated on Cannon Hill.  Below are some pics of the day.

Are you interested in this largely untold history? Do have stories about Aboriginal servicemen and women? We'd love to hear from you!

Dancers crowd around the memorial
Image: Lucy De Kretser
Source: Museum Victoriawreaths laid at the memorial
Image: Lucy De Kretser
Source: Museum VictoriaThe memorial on Cannon Hill, Warrnambool
Image: Lucy De Kretser
Source: Museum VictoriaMemorial to Aboriginal Servicemen and Women, Warrnambool
Image: Lucy De Kretser
Source: Museum Victoria