Something Wicked(ly) good this way comes .....

I suspect that I'm one of those few has not encountered Wicked before, well in its current musical form anyway. I'm familiar with the film version of the classic L. Frank Baum novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that MGM delivered in Technicolour to theatre Screens across the globe, as the Wizard of Oz. 

2017 Xperience Xplore Xperiment

Tonight Raina Savage launched the Griffith Regional Theatre  2017 Season.  It was a stylish event, showcasing local and regional talent with some highlight performances from returning for one last round of applause and then introducing the program for 2017.

Our Education Future - what is possible

This week I had the opportunity to participate in the thinking on the Future of Education in our community. I have long believed that our system is failing young people in how it prepares them for the world of their future.

LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION

LENNON: THROUGH A GLASS ONION John Waters Friday 24, February 2017 8pm BOOKINGS NOW OPEN

“A deeply felt reflection of the man.  Savour every minute” – NEW YORK TIMES

 

 Created and performed by renowned Australian actor/musician John Waters and esteemed singer/pianist Stewart D’Arrietta, Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, part concert and part biography, reveals the essence of the life and astonishing talent of one of the most admired icons of the past century.

 

In 1992, twelve years after Lennon’s death, Waters and D’Arrietta first conceived and performed Lennon: Through a Glass Onion on a small stage at the Tilbury Hotel in Sydney. The show was an instant success. In the years that followed, Waters and D’Arrietta toured the show and played sold out engagements at venues including The Sydney Opera House. The show performed a three-month engagement in London’s West End.  

 

“Its been fantastic the response the show is receiving, especially from the younger audiences that are coming along, some of whom were not even born when Lennon and The Beatles were recording and releasing their music. It’s a testament to the legacy of the man and his music that still excites and intrigues people to this day” says Waters.

 

For the audience this is either an emotional trip down memory lane or a wonderful introduction to the life and times of one of the most fascinating icons of our time.

CIRCA - Camille Saint-Saëns “Carnival of the Animals”

A story on the Circus, I believe, should always start with a short history lesson.  I actually thought I was going to be telling you about the Roman Empire, and how those great edifices to entertainment, violence and mass slaughter, the Roman Circuses, were the precursor to the modern circus. Those great open air entertainment facilities, were actually great race tracks, big enough for chariot races, sea battles and then the battles of Gladiators. The areas were not circular either, but instead two linear race tracks with a curved enclosure at each end. So lesson learnt, the modern racetrack owes its design to the ancient roman empire and for the modern Circus we have to look to more recent history.

The modern circus began in England after the end of the Seven Years War (thats the one where Britain had a barney with France and Spain, then Prussia, Austria  and Russia got involved, anyway it left Europe in a bit of a mess, laid the foundation for future conflicts, but that is another story.  Our story is about Philip Astley ho created what we now know as Circus in 1768. He established a performance arena he called a circle or as it would become known as “circus”.   Ashley had served in the Seven Years War in the 15th Light Dragons Regiment where he showed great talent with horses, and following the war he chose to imitate the trick riders that were performing across Europe. With trick riders as the start he then started to add other elements he took from theatre, clowns, jugglers, tumbling, and rope tricks.  His “circus’ was built on the talents of his artists their strength, agility and ability to connect with an audience.   

Celebrating NAIDOC Week.

Poster is by Wiradjuri artist, Lani Balzan. The theme for this year's celebrations is "Songlines - the living narrative of our nation"  

While Capt Arthur Philip and the rest of the Colonists may have thought the local indigenous people who greeted them were unsophisticated by European Standards and seemingly nomadic. They in fact had a strong and long history with the land, and held their knowledge and history in Songlines that go back to the dawn of time and the Dreaming. 

Passed on from generation to generation, and in some places recorded through complex carvings on trees, or painting on walls of caves, and carved into rock, this ageless narrative tells of a history and connection to people, land and the landscape that extends further than any other culture or civilisation on earth.

The poster while it depicts all the songlines from across the county coming together, is remarkably similar to the Aboriginal Pedagogy which is defined in the 8 ways of learning. 

This Aboriginal learning framework is expressed at its simplest as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. (8 ways Wiki) It is more complex obviously when viewed as each nation, family or group add their own culture, history and important understandings to the system. Learning is not seen as linear, but an interconnected, fluid and evolving.

How we learn - culture way

1. We connect through the stories we share.
2. We picture our pathways of knowledge.
3. We see, think, act, make and share without words.
4. We keep and share knowledge with art and objects.
5. We work with lessons from land and nature.
6. We put different ideas together and create new knowledge.
7. We work from wholes to parts, watching and then doing.
8. We bring new knowledge home to help our mob.

NAIDOC Week will also see the close of the remarkable Exhibition Murrumbidgee MarraMarra which has drawn record crowds to the Griffith Regional Art Gallery.  

However prior to that happening, the Gallery has played host to a Gala Event to celebrate NAIDOC week.    The evening celebrated the significance of culture in telling stories, Songlines that have passed down through generations, and also reinterpretations of personal stories.  Murrumbidgee MarraMarra is visual art experience, powerful, evocative and filled with both ancient and modern ways of telling story. 

Tonight we heard from one of those visual artists, Ms Veronica Collins.  I met Veronica years ago when she created works for an exhibit at the Cottage Gallery.  Veronica worked alongside Di Tarr and they lived and breathed that local exhibition and the one that followed in Sydney.  Veronica's work is framed within the strong geometric patterns that define Wiradjuri work, and yet is post modernism at its finest.  Veronica spoke of her work and also surprised the audience with a new project is part of.  Her artwork is being reproduced on clothing and it looks wonderful.  Emdar Designs is coordinating and the printing is being done locally as well.  

Music was via what is now regarded as the oldest wind instrument in the world.  Our young artist did an outstanding job in producing the haunting voice of the Didgeridoo. 

The young dancers then began their stories.  The first half reflecting traditional dance.  They emerged from the Centenary Spears Installation and this in itself was very moving.  However i fell apart with the very modern dance that was created to the music of Gurrumul Yunupingu and Blue King Brown "Gatha Mawula Revisited".  Its a stunning song to begin with and this young team of dancers gave it another level of emotion.  Tears Tears Tears.  

Wiradjuri man, John Muk Muk Burke then gave the next part of this extraordinary feast of narratives. Story Telling takes on many many forms.  He told his story of his family and his journey to his awakening as a Wiradjuri man.  He unpacked his own story against some of the great wrongs that been brought upon our First Nation.  Reciting his poems, brought full circle to the Songline theme of the 2016 NAIDOC Week and gave meaning to the narratives of a proud people not just being about something in the past, but that these stories, histories truths and ways of being , knowing and becoming are connected to today and the future.

We are moving forward, our community is slowly lifting itself up and out of ignorance, and racist intolerance.  We have people people who are working together to build up Aboriginal young people and give them ways of telling their own story and also pf participating.  Hopefully as we continue to learn about each other NAIDOC week will become a focus for everyone.  

Tonight was brought together by so many people, Council Staff , community members and I want to say thank you. 

What's it like growing up in Regional Australia?

We are a lucky people, whether you are recent arrival or your have lived here all your life, there are many reasons to say this is a good place to grow up and also to raise a family.

The creation Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme in the early 1900's included the establishment Leeton in 1912 and Griffith in 2016. Narrandera which was already well established has continued to grow, though often as a poorer second or third cousin.

Both Leeton and Griffith share a unique bond with our national capital, all three cities were designed by American Walter Burley Griffin and his partner Marion.  All feature the linked circular roads and linked avenues.  It's interesting looking at these designed today, because they reflect the strong geometric patterns found in the Wiradjuri People culture and story telling. 

“Why, this car is auto-matic. It’s system-matic. Its hyyyyydro-matic. Why, it’s greased lightning!”

Memory is a funny thing isn’t it, one minute you’re happily sitting in aisle D seat 51 at the Griffith Regional Theatre in 2016 and next minute, the music swirls around you and suddenly I’m back at Tulloch Lodge, Wagga Wagga, an off campus student accomodation unit run by Student Services at RCAE (Riverina College of Advanced Education) before it grew into a University. It’s 1978, and the music of Grease and the dance moves seem to occupy all of our time outside of study and drinking. We knew every lyric, dance move and had ourselves choreographed to dance (and sing) every part the building at any time of the day or night, we had even created dance moves for the grand double staircase. Grease filled our lives, it connected us and made that first year of college easier and more alive. It was also a musical for our time, the sexual awakening and taboo subjects of the early sixties were brought to stark attention in sharp script for film that had a PG rating at the time.

Step forward from 1978 to 2016, and here we have a Catholic High School, once again stepping up and out on these bold subjects and not glossing over them. Marian College students and the educator team, have placed before us “Grease”, and bring to life Danny, Sandy, Rizzo, Kenickie, Doody, Sonny, Putzie, Frenchy, and the even Vince Fontaine. The cast do an outstanding job as a well rehearsed ensemble to bring the biggest smile to your dial, so big that at times tears rolled down my cheeks.

School is about a lot of things, we mostly think its about learning stuff, the reality is about learning who you are, who you aren’t and it also allows you to discover things about yourself and what you can do that you never really knew. We often never see this when we are in the moment, but time allows us to reflect back and we can see those sparks of knowing that rose up for periods of time.


The creative and expressive side of us, is the one of the important links often given less attention in our high school years. The focus on Literacy, Math, Science and sport often taking the limelight and being seen as critical to success in future years. Drama, Music and Art are often relegated to the side and seen as less critical to our future. However, our story as humans, from as far back as the beginning of the Dreaming, through the Songlines of our first nation people and through the stories that tell the journey of modern civilisation from the Sumarians to now, is told through song, dance, story, art and imaginings created by and presented by artists. Creative spirits give voice to who we are and how we see ourselves, so it is with this focus that Marian Catholic College and its education faculty, continue to give this a place of significance every couple of years to t’s expressive self.

Continuing the tradition of the big musical, that for me started under Mechelle Anderson and Make me a Star, a home grown effort that gave opportunity for talent to shine. With the return of Don Hillam to Griffith and in particular to Marian College, we had the promise of his experience in musical theatre and cabaret in Wagga Wagga over many years, being brought to the drama team at the High School. From Fame, The Whiz and now Grease, Don Hillam and his magical team, have not disappointed. He spirited us back to California 1959 and Rydell High School and also to our own pasts.

The set and use of the stage, tells us the guy behind the wheel knows about theatre and how to make it tell your story. His cast is big, choreographed and can sing. His Rizzo, well what a voice, and his Danny and Sandy are well matched in voice, quality and voice, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds bring the comedy, chorus and also the big issues of the day to the fore. The ensemble behind them, well what more could you ask for.





Once again the use of a live band, this time sitting high above the stage, really tell us this school is nurturing a range of talent and creative elements. It’s a very classy band, tight, on time and well orchestrated, they shine bright, but never overpower the voices of the cast. In other productions there have always been standout voices, strong and vibrant, sometimes they outshone other cast. Tonight though, the voice of Rizzo really matched the character, as it should, the rest of the cast sang their hearts out, but didn’t over power each other, to me it was maybe the first time that attention had been given to really having voices that blended and matched each of the characters.

We are blessed in many ways, given the world and the troubles that impact on peoples lives and happiness can seem so far away. We have schools in our community that make the effort to go that extra mile so that outstanding moments like tonight can seem commonplace or expected. It’s not, its hard work, tonight is an outcome of educators, facilitators of learning and enquiry showing what is possible when support is given in all facets of a students life. Tonight we saw how literacy, maths, and science manifest themselves through creativity. This is an example of the fundamentals of learning telling our story through art. It’s a powerful reminder of what makes teachers really want to do this job, this is inspiring and humbling.

Congratulations to the faculty and leadership team at Marian Catholic College, the families and especially those inspired young people who stepped up on the stage and into the limelight, its a brilliant show and you should feel immensely proud of the value of this production, how it looks, sounds and feels. Powerful beyond words.