| Participants at Celebrating the Voice 8. Reading is Elizabeth ... Participants at Celebrating the Voice 8. Reading is Elizabeth Hodgson and seated alongside her are Barbara Nicholson and Associate Professor Paul Sharrad |
Rain does not stop play (or poetry)
2 Jul 2008 | Bernie Goldie
"Celebrating the Voice 8 -- Indigenous Writers" is an annual literary event now in its eighth year. It showcases to the community writing by local and national Aboriginal artists and the University's commitment to Indigenous culture.
Celebrating the Voice is a partnership of the University of Wollongong and South Coast Writers’ Centre (SCWC), funded by Arts NSW and with support from South East Arts Region, the University of Wollongong's Faculty of Law, Faculty of Arts and the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre.
Organiser, SCWC Director, Ali Smith is a graduate of UOW and readers Ernie Blackmore, Barbara Nicholson and Elizabeth Hodgson work in Woolyungah, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Arts. The MC was Associate Professor Paul Sharrad from the English Literatures Program of the Faculty of Arts.
This year, Celebrating the Voice was linked to the Sydney Writers’ Festival which enabled it for the first time to go on tour. Wollongong readers joined local writers at Bermagui, Moruya and Nowra. The main event, held at the Wollongong City Gallery, drew a crowd of more than 100 people.
The first reading was opened by local Elder, Dootch Kennedy, who gave the Welcome to Country, and read from his work in "Looking Backward Moving Forward", a book of oral histories produced by South Coast Writers’ Centre for Shellharbour City Council in conjunction with the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre and the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation. Singer Kyarna Cruse, granddaughter of Elder June Lowe, opened the first bracket of readings with a capella version of Neil Murray's 'My Island Home'.
Readers appearing in Wollongong included local poet and 2007 David Unaipon award winner, Elizabeth Hodgson, poet and Wadi Wadi Elder, Aunty Barbara Nicholson. Ernie Blackmore read from his novel in progress and visiting writers Ken Canning (aka Burraga Gutya) and Uncle Norm Newlin read their poetry.
The evening closed with a reading from special guest Lionel Fogarty, one of Australia's most significant poets, who is also an activist and artist. Lionel spent a week in Wollongong hosted by the South Coast Writers’ Centre and his visit was supported by the University's Faculty of Law.
The 'home team' made its inaugural tour south amid pouring rain that persisted through the week. Despite the dampener, some 25 people showed up at the Bermagui Library and Community Centre. Readings began with a Welcome to Country by Garry Campbell.
The following day's reading was presented at Moruya Library, with Aunty Mary Duroux giving the Welcome and reading some of her poetry. Minmia, author of 'Under the Quandong Tree' read and talked about her compiling of Wiradjuri philosophy.
The final reading in the tour was held on a (literally) dark and stormy night at the Shoalhaven Campus of the University of Wollongong, with poet Josh Black, a student at the Shoalhaven Campus, reading some of his new and exciting work. The Shoalhaven Campus was another well attended venue, with Robbie Collins, Laurie Stevenson and campus staff making the writers and audience very welcome. Elder and painter Ben Brown also attended and the Welcome to Country was given by Delia Low, who talked about the importance of writing as a means of telling the stories and continuing the culture of Indigenous people in the Shoalhaven.
Celebrating the Voice 8 was an opportunity to foster relationships among Indigenous writers along the coast, strengthening networks and generating considerable enthusiasm for a series of workshops planned for next year.
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