Big hART is working with South Coast schools, Yuin cultural mentors and local artists to create three events that celebrate place.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Lincoln Smith, assistant producer of the Bulla Midhong project, said each event concentrates on a specific cultural story as a way for young people to understand the country they are on.
"A lot of these places have primary totemic value," Mr Smith said.
The Eden event on Saturday, April 29, tells a contemporary story about a mother humpback whale's migration north with her calf.
It will rediscover the traditional place names of Twofold Bay, watched over by Balawan mountain.
Due to the likelihood of rain, this event is to be held at Jigamy in the training shed from 6.30pm (it was previously scheduled for Corcora Beach)
At Wallaga Lake's Umbarra Cultural Centre on May 13, the story is about the black duck Yuin Djiringang people who lived at Umbarra and sacred mountain Gulaga.
Language, song, digital art and traditional dance will tell the Black Cockatoo story of the local Yuin people at Nowra's Paringa Park on May 20.
READ ALSO:
Cultural mentors
Since early 2022 Big hART has held workshops with five schools - Eden Marine High, Bermagui Public, Narooma High, Bomaderry High and Shoalhaven High - and cultural mentors from Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, Merriman's Aboriginal Land Council and Djiriba Waagura.
Together with South Coast artists, they have created original digital and performance content.
"It is celebrating place and helping young people to feel connected to place, especially after the bushfires and COVID.
"We have people teaching language and sharing stories of sacred sites," Mr Smith said.
Intergenerational, intercultural
He said working with first-class local artists has given students the opportunity to learn about working in the creative industry and to build relationships with locals making a living from the industry.
"Previously you would have had to move to Sydney to work in that industry," Mr Smith said.
Meanwhile, the cultural mentors have enjoyed working in their home towns with young people from their community, as well as networking, meeting and collaborating with each other and genuine sharing.
It is harder to hurt someone if you know their story.
- Lincoln Smith, assistant producer of Bulla Midhong
"There is an element of just being a continuation of sharing of stories that has been happening for tens of thousands of years.
"It is open to the public but we would do it as artists anyway, singing and dancing and becoming grounded in their own stories," Mr Smith said.
Big hART wants to combine the content into a unified piece and is applying for a grant to create a touring show.
"There seems to be genuine momentum and a lot of excitement about the content being produced."
The events are free, unticketed and family friendly.
Bulla Midhong is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Package, Australia Council for the Arts, Regional Arts NSW, Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, Red Cross Narooma, Merrimans Aboriginal Land Council and Djiriba Waagura.
Love your regional news? Then sign up for the Voice of Real Australia, daily news from across the country delivered free to your inbox
