Photo L-R: Karen Wyld, Nara Wilson, Alexis West, and Dominic Guerrera – OUR WORDS Panelists
Adelaide Festival Centre has today announced this year’s OUR MOB event, which is a unique exhibition of art by First Nations artists as well as two new and free in-person events shining a light on the art of storytelling: OUR WORDS and OUR STORIES.
The 2021 OUR MOB exhibition will be on display to the public at Adelaide Festival Centre’s Artspace Gallery from September 1 to 30 and will feature three main components: OUR MOB: Art by South Australian Aboriginal Artists, OUR YOUNG MOB: Art by Aboriginal Artists 18 years and under and the Don Dunstan Foundation Prize solo exhibition, created by 2019’s Emerging Artist Award recipient, Ngarrindjeri, Narrungga and Ngadjuri artist Sonya Rankine.
OUR WORDS and OUR STORIES events encourage people of all ages to come together to talk and share knowledge from a narrative that is over 60,000 years old at Adelaide Festival Centre’s Space Theatre on Saturday September 11.
In the morning, families are welcomed around the OUR STORIES campfire on the Space Theatre stage to hear traditional Dreaming stories from local storytellers Margaret Brodie, Aunty Lena Rigney and Aunty Pat Waria-Read. This important new work provides the unique opportunity for young people to be immersed in First Nations culture and language.
Following the performance, children seven years and up can attend an illustration workshop run by Yorta Yortawoman Karen Briggs, an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer.
Literature lovers are invited to join some of South Australia’s most exciting First Nations writers and creatives at an afternoon of panels and conversations in the Space Theatre on September 11. Listen to activist and Narrungga poet Natalie Harkin, Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna writer and poet Dominic Guerrera and award-winning Yankunytjatjara author Ali Cobby Eckermann discuss themes of identity and representation in OUR WORDS.
Other panellists include prized Martu author Karen Wyld and heavyweights in the world of theatre and film Birri Gubba, Wakka Wakka writer, film and theatre director Alexis West, Wirangu, Kokatha and Larrakia SA Film Corporation Executive Nara Wilson and Helpmann award-winning Pitjantjatjara and Warrigmal, South Sea actress and writer Elaine Crombie tackle the topic of First Nations representation on stage and screen.
Adelaide Festival Centre CEO & Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM: “Art is at the heart of many regional and remote communities and we look forward to supporting South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists throughout this year’s events.
“The OUR MOB exhibition of stunning works helps to promote the careers of First Nations artists and provides our patrons with the opportunity to access and purchase wonderful artwork directly from the artist.
“We are thrilled to be expanding the program this year to include our new literary and storytelling events, OUR WORDS and OUR STORIES. It has been a privilege for our team at Adelaide Festival Centre to work with local storytellers to share their important knowledge to audiences.”
Since its inception in 2006, Adelaide Festival Centre’s OUR MOB exhibition has showcased the quality and diversity of art by South Australian First Nation artists, boosting the careers of many artists, and generating direct-to-artist sales to support their art practices.
Adelaide Festival Centre gratefully acknowledges ongoing partnerships with Ku Arts; SICAD; Country Arts SA; The Don Dunstan Foundation; TARNANTHI: Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art; and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture centre managers and coordinators across South Australia.
The 2021 award-winning OUR MOB artists will be announced on the evening of Thursday 16 September.
Glam Adelaide acknowledges the Kaurna people as the custodians of the lands and waters of the Adelaide region.
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