"Reimagine."
This word set all my cultural alarm bells off into strident chimes of incredulity.
The new administration plans to “reimagine” our stately old SA Museum.
They find it tired. They think the Egyptian Room is old hat. All very yesterday.
Silly old me.
I have spent my life believing that museums are where you keep old hats. Dated old hats with dates recorded on them, so to speak. Museums are all about things dated.
Carbon dated!
If anything is old and tired, surely it must be all those ancient rocks our museum has so expertly collected. They don’t do much. They just sit there. But, their millions of years of survival telling the fossil record of evolution makes the 60 thousand years of Aboriginal artefacts and history seem Johnny Come Lately.
In the vast scheme of things, this is so.
The museum’s collections shows us exactly how it is so.
Our museum’s Ediacaran collection has led to that geological period here scoring what they call a “Golden Spike” in the planet’s timeline. That’s a bit on the big deal side.
I’m an old lady now but my knowledge base from childhood has been underscored by what I have seen and learnt to understand in our museum.
I’ve always loved it, although some of the concepts it explores have scared me.
Many things have been heartbreaking. Extinction, for instance.
The loss of Aboriginal heritage and language.
The rise of recognition of this is uplifting. We are learning how much we have to learn.
But without the museum’s showcase of our pasts, bad and good, it would be hard to teach our young and young to come.
The importance of the museum and the knowledge it represents is so fundamental that it feels a bit ridiculous to be enumerating it.
“Seeing with your own eyes” is what museums give us.
That “outdated” Egyptology room has been imprinted on my memory since childhood. It led to years of learning and even to a small degree of collecting antiquities. It was a springboard for knowledge. Yes, it is fusty. But it could do with more, not less.
As for the insect collection. It fed my fascination, too. Had I not fallen into journalism, becoming an entomologist was high on career choices. In my London years, I had the privilege of breeding insects for the living collection: cockroaches and stick insects. To this day, I study and worry about the insect and arachnid world. The drop in their population is a terrifying signal in our growing climate crisis.
The museum is there to explain these things, its researchers to devise reasons and strategies. Sometimes, nuances in science lead to major world-changing developments.
Research is a core business. Knowledge is everything.
The idea of slashing research in a crucible of discovery is sickeningly regressive.
As for “reimagining”. What an insulting concept.
History tries to represent the past with integrity. It often leaves a record. Museums keep the record. It helps us to imagine what and where and how of the past, to see history in the mind’s eye. But “re-imagine”? Re-contexualise? I can think of a few “re”-words, since “re” sings of a different sort of backwards. Repress, retard, regress….
It makes me think of those American museums where religious anti-evolutionists had forced the change of exhibit labels to “theory”. Ignorance is on the rise.
So it comes to pass that the people of this state have risen to the cause. We’re furious. We’re a crowd of signatories of letters and Tweets and memes. Suddenly, from all sides of politics, from all ages and demographics, we are angry activists.
See you on the steps of Parliament House on Saturday 13th April.
Samela Harris
From the bustling streets of Paris to the serene landscapes of Tibet, from the rhythmic beats of Senegal to the vibrant sounds of Australia's Aboriginal roots, Womadelaide 2024 promises a journey through a diverse tapestry of global music and culture. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Botanic Park, or Tainmuntilla, in Adelaide, this iconic festival invites music enthusiasts to immerse themselves in an unparalleled celebration of creativity, diversity, and artistic expression.
As the sun sets over the lush Moreton Bay Fig trees, festival-goers will be treated to an eclectic lineup of artists hailing from every corner of the globe. Among the headliners gracing the stages of Womadelaide this year is Baaba Maal (Senegal). Renowned as one of Africa's most celebrated musicians, Maal's mesmerizing blend of traditional Senegalese rhythms with contemporary influences has captivated audiences worldwide. With his soul-stirring vocals and infectious grooves, Maal promises to deliver an electrifying performance that transcends borders and unites cultures.
Hailing from Lahore, Arooj Aftab (USA/Pakistan) is a trailblazing vocalist and composer whose music seamlessly blends elements of classical Pakistani music with avant-garde sensibilities. Drawing inspiration from Sufi poetry and modern jazz, Aftab's ethereal soundscapes will evoke a sense of transcendence and spiritual awakening.
The pulsating rhythms of Ibibio Sound Machine (United Kingdom) will also be on show this year. Fronted by the charismatic Eno Williams, this London-based collective channels the vibrant energy of West Africa, blending traditional Nigerian rhythms with modern funk and disco grooves.
From the infectious grooves of Ibibio Sound Machine to the more introspective tones of Emel Mathlouthi (Tunisia), her haunting vocals and poignant lyrics will speak to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Moonlight Benjamin (Haiti/France) electrifying performances are also a testament to resilience, as well as the vitality of the Haitian culture. Combining the rich musical traditions of Haiti with the contemporary sounds of French rock and blues her powerful vocals and soulful lyrics will invite audiences to embark on a journey of introspection and liberation.
From the sultry sounds of Haiti, the music will take a fiery turn when Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 (Nigeria) take the stage. Hailing from the bustling streets of Lagos, Nigeria, Kuti carries on the legacy of his legendary father, Fela Kuti, with his explosive blend of Afrobeat rhythms and fiery political commentary. Backed by the legendary Egypt 80 band, Kuti's electrifying performances are a call to action, a rallying cry for justice and equality in a world plagued by oppression and injustice.
In a fusion of their rich musical traditions, Pongo (Angola/Portugal) and Tenzin Choegyal (Australia/Tibet) will both have audiences considering the intersection of tradition and modernity. Pongo, a force to be reckoned with in the world of Afro-Portuguese music, fuses elements of kuduro, semba, and electronic beats. Their infectious rhythms and fierce rhymes celebrate the vibrant spirit of Afro-diasporic communities around the world. Where Choegyal, a masterful musician whose music transcends cultural boundaries, will bridge the gap between his Tibetan heritage and his Australian upbringing with his haunting melodies and heartfelt lyrics.
Comprising a diverse group of musicians from across the Pacific Islands, Wantok Sing Sing (Oceania) is a celebration of Oceania's rich cultural heritage. From the rhythms of Fiji to the melodies of Vanuatu, this supergroup's dynamic performances showcase the beauty and diversity of Pacific Island music.
Each artist will bring their own unique blend of sounds and influences to the stage. From the soulful ballads of Corinne Bailey Rae (United Kingdom) to the infectious grooves of Cymande (United Kingdom), from the hypnotic beats of DakhaBrakha (Ukraine) a Ukrainian quartet known for their avant-garde approach to traditional folk music, to the soul-stirring melodies of Gilberto Gil (Brazil), the Brazilian musical icon whose songs carry the spirit of resistance and resilience, each artist offers a unique perspective on the world and its rich tapestry of cultures that make up our global community.
The enchanting sounds of José González (Sweden) will also echo through the park on Saturday night. Hailing from the serene landscapes of Sweden, Gonzalez's gentle vocals and intricate guitar work create an atmosphere of serenity and introspection that will set the stage for an evening of musical exploration.
Elephants Laugh (South Korea) will also captivate audiences with their mesmerizing performance titled "Muljil". Hailing from South Korea, Elephants Laugh brings a unique fusion of traditional Korean music and contemporary artistry to the stage. Through their innovative use of instruments and visual storytelling, they invite spectators on a journey of discovery and wonder, exploring themes of heritage, identity, and the human experience.
Not all of the action takes place on the stages however, with roving performances and aerial acts to excite and entertain. Handspring Puppet Company (South Africa) will enchant audiences with their spellbinding puppetry and theatrical storytelling. Renowned for its groundbreaking productions that blur the lines between puppetry, dance, and visual art their masterful manipulation of puppets and evocative narratives will create a world of imagination and wonder that transcends language and culture.
Gratte Ciel (France), the French performance artists who "dance in the air", return for the 3rd time to defy gravity and ignite the sky with their breathtaking aerial acrobatics. Their graceful movements and daring feats push the boundaries of what is possible captivating audiences with their awe-inspiring agility, and artistry. Finally, Streb Extreme Action (USA) will thrill audiences with their adrenaline-fueled stunts and gravity-defying feats of athleticism. Known for their daring combination of dance, acrobatics, and extreme sports their high-flying aerial manoeuvres and jaw-dropping stunts will push the limits of the human body.
These performance acts, along with the diverse lineup of musicians, artists, speakers, and worldly selections of food and drink promise to transport audiences to a world of imagination, creativity, and cultural exploration. It is 4 days and nights not to be missed from the 8th to the 11th of March at Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla.
Paul Rodda
When: 8 to 11 Mar
Where: Botanic Park/Tainmuntilla
Bookings: womadelaide.com.au
Sociopolitical theatre/dance loomed large in mind through nationally and locally produced work in 2023. Something there’s not been much of for some time.
The year of the referendum to include Indigenous Australians in the constitution saw Australian Dance Theatre and Bangarra Dance Theatre and Marrugeku present three profoundly significant works. Works exploring historic experiences of dispossession and struggle on the individual and collective level.
Then there’s extraordinary productions by Theatre Republic, Lina Limosani and Famous Last Words tackling the personal-is-political thing from a grand baroque historical context to the nitty gritty of strata corporation politics.
So here’s the Top 10! (My version is as many as I like.) Get into it!
11) Music for Other Worlds – Alex Frayne and Paul Grabowsky/Adelaide Festival. Adelaide’s most renowned photographer’s works were screened to on-the-spot jazz improvisation by the great pianist Paul Grabowsky. A unique, stunning experience, as Frayne’s meticulous photo essays merged and flowed in six phrases. Grabowsky responded to them in the moment. The ear saw as much as the eyes heard. This work opened up a new angle on visual and musical narrative more particular to the language of film.
10) The River That Ran Up Hill – Slingsby/Big Dream Festival. Edgell Junior’s story of surviving Vanuatu’s Category 5 Cyclone Pam in 2015 was a significant work of community building and awareness. Relying on the magic inherent in simple stripped back design, direct storytelling and very clever lighting effects. Andy Packer and Clara Solly-Slades’ production addressed a big environmental issue in a beautiful and profound way.
9) Tracker – Austrian Dance Theatre/Adelaide Festival. A very personal work. The story of ADT’s Daniel Riley’s Great Great Uncle Alec ‘Tracker’ Riley. A personal history delving into an indigenous man’s life between two worlds. White Australia. Black Australia. Where does identity and loyalty lie? To the land you are made of and from, or the white boss benefiting from your knowledge of your land he has taken? A sharply focused work on the nexus of being skilfully coopted by an occupying force.
8) Jurrungu Ngan-ga (Straight Talk) - Marrugeku/Adelaide Festival. Australia’s history since colonisation has been that of an island prison camp. Choreographer Dalisa Pigram and Director Rachael Swain’s production explored this very central historical fact with direct brutality in context of indigenous experience. An explosive, unapologetic and gripping expose.
7) Yuldea – Bangarra Dance Theatre. A Great Victorian Desert/South Australian story told, at last, from perspective and firsthand experience of indigenous people who lived and suffered decades of decimation by industrialisation and impact of the Maralinga atomic bomb tests. Frances Rings’ production focused every creative element of the work on the dancers’ bodies. They were the land, the people, the spirituality, the history as never seen or understood by White Australia before.
6) Bàrbaros - Lina Limosani. Nightmare baroque, come Gothic dive into the darkest heart of human civilisation since primeval slime crawled onto land and evolved/devolved into a multi millennia parade of subjugations and oppressions. Starkest, most brutal and enthrallingly beautiful choreographic work tackling barbarism at its dark human core.
5) Future Present – Theatre Republic. In its second iteration, the one night only project in which short new works on a theme are written, directed, rehearsed, designed, teched and performed in mere days (if not shorter than that) once again proved its incredible value. Democracy was the theme. From inner battles of family needs a female Minister mother and wife is forced to confront, what a name means in body corporate strata politics in securing a home to risking, or not, family connection when international politics is a source of danger. Pressure cooker stuff all round producing work tackling democracy from unique ‘never considered that’ angles. Showed off acting smarts at the sharp end of the scale. Last year’s event provided Emily Steel inspiration for her work The Garden. This is a very important, hugely valuable project.
4) Night, Mother – Holden Street Theatre Company. Powerful, profoundly shattering, deeply troubling and insightful production. When a down and out divorced daughter tells her mother she will kill herself in hours, what can be said or done? Martha Lott, Kathryn Fisher and director Peter Goers went where they probably didn’t want, but had to in delivering a deeply truthful work, not a mawkish apologia.
3) The Garden – Theatre Republic. Brilliant, thought provoking, darkly funny and very uncomfortable check-your-privilege work from playwright Emily Steel. Australia has a refugee perception problem, and Steel’s work tackled it head on, utilising innate judgemental preconceptions and self-satisfied moral superiority of middle Australia with gleefully deadly comic effect through Elizabeth Hay and Rashidi Edward’s performances.
2) Looped – Holden Street Theatre Company. Debut new company smash hit production, directed with sublime panache by Peter Goers and rolling with utterly pace perfect performances from Martha Lott, Chris Asimos and Robert Cusenza. A work which ever so steadily inched towards three significant words uttered by Lotts’s stunning characterisation of Tallulah Bankhead, on which premise the whole drama is turned on its head.
1) Proud – Famous Last Words. Understanding, and successfully communicating what this far right Proud Boys thing infiltrating Australian male circles is, was a tour de force achievement from Director/playwright James Watson and actor Henry Cooper. Watson’s writing had gravitas and down to earth sensibility needed to explore and explain, at the most basic human level, a dangerously unsettling movement. Cooper’s performance kept it real, simple, allowing us to see how easy the allure of belonging when in a disenfranchised state of being such extremes become.
Hot New Artist to Watch – James Watson
One years’ worth of work by Director/writer James Watson with company Famous Last Words pretty much convinced myself and Adelaide Critics Circle colleagues he was worthy of our 2023 Emerging Artist Award. But this year’s work comes off the back of a very long period of training. Most significantly, studying the playwright’s craft under Stephen Sewell, Australia’s most significant writer of political theatre at NIDA, after graduating from Flinders Drama Centre.
Watson’s writing and deft directorial calls on four projects proved remarkable demonstration of a maturity coming into its own. Follow everything he does. He is unafraid to walk outside the box.
David O’Brien
This year 10 just wasn’t enough; the 2022 Top Ten contains 11. Yes, there could be 50 in this list. In reverse order counting down to 1, read on!
11) After All This – Rumpus/Wickedly Good Productions – Playwright Marcel Dorney scored a 2012 Melbourne Green Room award for After All This. Wickedly Good Productions did a brilliant job with the text. Using Rumpus’s building as base, the audience was enveloped and confronted with a history of beliefs in a journey that wound through the building bending from childhood reminisce to death cult apologist affirmation. Never once was being judgemental involved. A huge achievement. An absorbing experience.
10) Di, Viv and Rose – Rumpus/The Corseted Rabbits – This trio of women seek to champion women’s issues. Their first chosen work couldn’t have been more perfect. Amelia Bullmore’s play offered Director Rachel Burke and cast everything, all the issues. 40 years of history. Pop culture of the 80s era onwards. Gender politics in evolution. They delivered a sensational interpretation, rich in its challenges to the present day, illuminative of the past they spring from.
9) Love on the Left Bank – Adelaide Cabaret Festival/Louise Blackwell – French chanteuse Juliet Greco; who would dare play her life onstage? Louise Blackwell. Francophile of long standing, Blackwell’s chosen creative collaborators delivered with her, a career highlight as champions of French musical culture. Blackwell’s performance was properly beyond mere replication of Greco. It seethed with a truth not to be denied.
8) Whatever Happened to Mary Jane? – Freefall Productions – Anorexia. Can it be tackled onstage? Yes! 25 years ago renowned comedian Wendy Harmer wrote a script extolling the experience of NIDA graduate Sancia Robinson. In 2022, Stefanie Rossi took it on under superlative direction from Tony Knight. It was a performance of painfully deep, illuminating, emotional and intellectually aware intensity.
7) The Boy and The Ball – The PaperBoats – Sheer innocence and simple technical prowess. Abetted by generous vulnerability and simple cardboard plus tennis balls, made this production an exemplar of how to reach a very young audience in such a way they are both engaged and deeply enthralled.
6) Exposed – Restless Dance Theatre – Such beautiful work, helmed by Geoff Cobham’s grand, profoundly considered lighting and set design. Here was exploration and expression of the fear and hope people with disability experience day to day, exquisitely underscored by Hilary Kleinig’s delicate sound composition.
5) A Streetcar Named Desire – The Bakehouse – The final production within the hallowed walls of Adelaide’s most famous, beloved black box theatre. Director Michael Baldwin offered a scintillating production. A richly layered treatment of Tennessee Williams’ text, the very poetry of it sidled along perfectly with an equal savagery burning deep within the language. It was given living expression by a cast more than up to the challenge.
4) Happy Go Wrong – Under The Microscope/Adelaide Festival Centre/Andi Snelling – The oft quoted aphorism ‘the personal is political’ totally applies to this profoundly, wickedly funny, dark, exhilarating, one hander production. Andi Snelling’s rich, gleeful discombobulating exploration of her battle with Lyme disease is a physical theatre clown class, unfailingly pulling an audience in.
3) Something Big – Rumpus/CRAM Collective – Few theatrical debuts by a young company hit heights of shatteringly powerful, sophisticated maturity on all levels of production. Here was a bunch of barely-out-of-drama-school grads tackling an extremely complex text and profoundly dark subject matter worthy of actors a good 10 years into their careers. They pulled it off in a fashion leaving this writer breathless!
2) Girl From The North Country – GWB Entertainment/Sydney Festival/Damian Hewitt & Trafalgar Entertainment Group/Runaway Entertainment/State Theatre Company South Australia – An extraordinarily reimagined take on Bob Dylan’s oeuvre within a theatrical structure challenging how his music can be arranged, and his writing expressed. Possibly the best outside-the-box creative programming/investment decision State Theatre Company South Australia has ever made.
1) Oleanna – Flying Penguin Productions –Words are weapons, poorly deployed. The early 21st Century has become such a linguistic battleground, taking David Mamet’s #metoo text beyond that. Director David Mealor understood and realised this powerfully in play. It was a vicious yet introspective production; a power game in which the ugliness of the game was as fascinating as the deplorable players of it.
Hot New Artist to Watch – Georgia Laity
Georgia Laity’s performance in Di, Viv and Rose convinced me she could totally take on David Mamet’s Oleanna under David Mealor’s direction, pairing her with the formidably gifted Renato Mussolino her former teacher at Flinders Drama Centre.
Why? Something about her playing Viv’s line “she’s annoying,” totally got my attention.
Not played as a throw away phrase, but uttered with heady, implacable declaration of immutable opposition to Di which, nonetheless, offered a sliver of questioning doubt; doubt battling with a sense of as yet, growing superiority – false or real?
Laity took this sophisticated, subtle capability to a whole new level in Oleanna.
The distance between the two productions and characters is vast.
What Laity brought to both was exceptional comprehension of, and capacity to articulate, truths as naive, ugly, painful and disturbing as much as placid. Unravelling the complex with profound assurance.
Georgia Laity is going to really fire stages up in her career.
David O’Brien
An unprecedented groundswell of pressure has erupted from the direction Fringe artists, summoning politicians to recognise the wisdom and economic benefits of investing in the Fringe.
Stirred up by one of Australia’s most exciting new choreographic talents, one Lewis Major, it calls on politicians of all persuasions, in or out of power, to support Fringe director Heather Croall and get moving to increase Fringe funding.
The letter was penned before the headline Fringe media event where Croall wept with frustration at the state of arts funding. It had been doing the rounds accumulating signatures.
Major says he had no experience in political activism. But he didn’t have to look far for support.
“I just reached out to all the artists who have been supported by fringe grants in the last year,” he declares.
He was stirred to action “witnessing firsthand across so many years just how hard the fringe works to support artists and especially South Australian artists.
"They are a huge reason why so many local artists who would normally look to greener pastures - either into state or overseas - end up settling in Adelaide.
"To then see how much benefit the fringe brings to other sectors in our state through such a relatively small amount of funding and watch how much of that funding actually makes it into the hands of artists and art venues.” It seemed something needed to be done.
Sure, politicians can promise anything when an election is looming.
But, Adelaide artists and practitioners want to hold them accountable.
So far the petition has been signed by over 100 artists and arts producers.
Here is the historic petition:
An Open Letter to all MPs
We, the undersigned, write this letter to wholeheartedly voice our support for the Adelaide Fringe under the courageous leadership of Heather Croall and the Fringe team and we call on all state MPs to implement the recommendation in the PwC report and increase Adelaide Fringe’s annual funding from the State Government.
The PwC report is clear in its findings in relation to the cost-benefit analysis of funding to our biggest and most successful festival: the gross expenditure given back to our state by the Adelaide Fringe is over 40 times the funding that it receives from the state government.
As artists, we are not in the habit of making solely economic arguments for increased support to the arts, although when speaking about the Adelaide Fringe the extraordinary return on investment to the state is impossible to ignore. The benefit of supporting Adelaide Fringe, however, is more far-reaching than the mere numbers that are added to the State’s bottom line at the end of March.
Fringe continues to support all levels of creative practice throughout the year and ensures that our sector continues to thrive outside of the actual Festival season itself. Thanks to the tireless work from the Fringe staff, programs such as the Fringe grants, professional development pathways, and mentorships are delivered at an enormous scale.
As our families, colleagues, communities, industry, and nation come to terms with the uncertainty, isolation, and social and economic disruption of the world in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adelaide Fringe stands as a beacon of all that is good about the arts sector in our state. The Adelaide Fringe is much more than a month-long festival that brings in tourism dollars and a sense of excitement to our city – it is an organisation through which artists are connected to each other, and are supported and inspired by each other… and together, find hope for the future.
We urge all SA political parties to commit, as an election promise, to increasing the annual funding to Adelaide Fringe as set out in the PwC report. The return on investment that the Fringe delivers to SA is enormous but it is not just about economics; the Fringe offers great opportunities for creative practitioners, brings immense joy to everyone and uplifts us all.
The Fringe is culturally an important part of life in South Australia.
Please look after it. Don’t take it for granted.