Artistic Practice in Contemporary Aboriginal Theatre

MASTER OF CREATIVE ARTS RESEARCH UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG Liza-Mare Syron Contents Section 1 EPHEMERA, ABORIGINALITY, RECONCILIATION, URBAN PERSPECTIVES Pg 1-21 EPHEMERA, Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban Perspectives (essay) Pg 21-52 EPHEMERA, Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban Perspectives. Section 2 ARTISTIC PRACTICE IN CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS THEARTRE Abstract Pg 1-36 Artistic Practice in Contemporary Indigenous Theartre Transcripts Pg 37-50 Wendy Blacklock Pg 51-58 Katharine Brisbane Pg 59-68 Wesley Enoch Pg 69-74 Justine Saunders Liza-Mare Syron c/Eora College for Aboriginal Studies Centre for Visual and Performing Arts 333 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale NSW 2008 1 EPHEMERA Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban perspectives. Writen by Liza-Mare Syron Master of Creative Arts Research 2004. University of Wollongong NSW Contents. Essay EPHEMERA, Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban perspectives Script EPHEMERA, Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban perspectives Liza-Mare Syron c/ Eora College of Aboriginal Studies Center for Visual and Performing Arts. 333 Abercrombie Street Chippendale NSW 2008. 2 EPHEMERA. Aboriginality, Reconciliation, Urban perspectives By Liza-Mare Syron Introduction Ephemera is a performance primarily inspired by two diverse propositions put forward by leading academics on Australian Aboriginal performance. I was interested in exploring the ideas and theories by writers on Contemporary Indigenous Theatre and in creating the possibility for the practical application of these theories in performance. To explore these ideas theatrically I have utilised information gathered from a number of theatre practitioners, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, on key elements of Aboriginal theatre production. Ephemera is a theatrical exploration of two key theories on Aboriginality in performance that will be produced using key elements of Aboriginal theatre. The first proposition explored in Ephemera is that ‘Aboriginality’ is a notion created from the subjective experiences of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people engaged in intercultural dialogue. Marcia Langton in Well I heard it on the Radio (93), suggests that Aboriginality is a shifting experience that is made and remade repeatedly through a process of dialogue, imagination, representation, and interpretation (p33). Although Langton explores this proposition through analysis of the film medium, these ideas can translate to performance mediums and in this case to theatre. Langton suggests that ‘Aboriginality’ has more meaning and is more easily understood when it is discussed intersubjectivily by both Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal people (p32). By this, Langton proposes that Aboriginality has meaning when it is a very personal experience created from actual dialogue, exchanges, and social interactions. These exchanges can take place at any time yet the crucial feature of these exchanges are the very real presence of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people closely interconnected. Aboriginality is however also constructed from cultural and textual exchanges where dialogue is absent. These intercultural experiences create one sided dialogues dominated by societal constructions, political aspirations, mythologies and stereotypes. Ephemera primarily explores the subjective experience, but will also incorporate the social, cultural and textual constructions of 3 ‘Aboriginality’. It investigates the imagined, the representational, and the interpretation of these intersubjective, intercultural experiences and presents these reflections theatrically. The second idea explored in Ephemera is the notion that Aboriginal theatre is an act of reconciliation. Helen Gilbert proposes this point of reference in Reconciliation. Aboriginality and Australian Theatre in the 1990’s (98). In her article, Gilbert suggests that theatre provides a space for multiple expressions of Aboriginality to emerge (p75). A theatrical experience is a complexed interface where both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal participants, performers, actors, writers directors and audiences unite to contribute towards creating that experience. The Aboriginal theatre experience is therefore an interconnected, intercultural, and intersubjective experience. Contemporary Aboriginal Theatre provides the place where ideas, notions, assumptions, and many other forms of Aboriginality can be discussed, explored, and experienced. It is also the space where non-Aboriginal audiences connect with Aboriginal culture, society, customs, and experience. Non-Aboriginal people will generally witness an Aboriginal theatre production more so than an Aboriginal audience will. This situation is generated primarily from the mainstreaming of Contemporary Aboriginal theatre where venues, locations, and price often preclude its availability to an Aboriginal audience. The notion of Reconciliation has been added to this project due to its expectations as an intercultural experience between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Reconciliation is a political response from representatives of governmental and community groups to the need for greater understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia. For over two hundred years since colonisation, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians have continually sought to clarify and define their relationship with each other through political and social struggles. Government after Government policy has sought to regulate the lives of Aboriginal Australians during this time against a backdrop of resistance and a refusal to be controlled. In 1975 the Federal parliament of Australia passed the Racial Discrimination Act, a commitment to a more tolerant society. Then in 1988 the year of the Bicentenary celebrations in Australia, the then Prime Minster, Bob Hawke announced the Barunga Statement that featured the need for more consultation and 4 discussion with Aboriginal people towards a sense of reconciliation. Another three years later and a parliamentary discussion paper on the strategy for achieving reconciliation and social justice for the Aboriginal Australian was tabled and in 1991 the council for reconciliation was established. The idea behind the formation of the council came from the 1988 investigation into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the subsequent report in 1991 which recommended the need for the formation of a council to address the lack of knowledge, understanding and education on Aboriginal Australia amongst the wider Australian public. The notion of reconciliation seeks to promote intercultural understanding, I was not sure that it achieved an intersubjective experience. By this I mean that engaging in political, social or cultural acts or organised activities don’t necessarily mean that there is an interface going on. I needed to know more about the interpersonal experience happening. To achieve this it became apparent that I needed to explore the very personal experiences of connectedness to Aboriginality. These experiences needed to come from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people if I was to create something meaningful. The more subjective the experience the more Aboriginality becomes a multidimensional experience, elusive and shifting. The inclusion of Aboriginal/Indigenous elements in production is a difficult task due to notions of authenticity. According to Langton (93), the classification, definition, characterisation, and representation of Aboriginality is a process of a cultural construct (p28). However, as discussed earlier, Aboriginality is also a subjective experience where the type of experience and meaning shifts when in contact with different contexts. The types of contexts, which effect experience, include location, history, and connection. In contemporary realities, location defines the experience of Aboriginality. The experience of people who live in urban cities is very different to that of Aboriginal people who live in rural, isolated or mission landscapes. These experiences can be made more complexed by a history of abduction and separation from traditional cultures. Some experiences begin with a close connection to traditional Aboriginal culture and knowledge but which can change with a move or shift away from these connections. The opposite can also be true where the experience of isolation and confusion can shift toward the experience of culture and belonging. Therefore, the simplistic stereotype of the Aboriginal experience can no longer suffice. Authenticity is itself is a shifting notion which is constantly contested 5 by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Authenticity becomes a complexed issue for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people subjectively, socially and culturally and therefore textually and theatrically. Gilbert (98) removes the writers’ function as an authenticating locus for Aboriginality in performance and instead focuses on aesthetic representations. Gilbert proposes four ‘markers’ that signify Aboriginality in performance. The physical performing presence of an Aboriginal/Indigenous actor or performer on stage is the first ‘marker’ suggested by Gilbert. Here Aboriginality is constructed from physical attributes including facial features, color of skin, gestures and the vocal register (accent) of the performer. This marker although comfortable for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal audiences is simplistic and outdated. As mentioned earlier, an Aboriginal person may have many of the physical attributes identified as Aboriginal, but have no physical or historical connection to Aboriginal society

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