Songs from a Stolen Senate

Live Music

[Read Bossman Allan Sko’s SUPERB article with the wonderful Michael Sollis on RISE here]

THIS WEEKEND!!!
Fri 4th (7pm) – Sat 5th (2pm, 7pm) September 2020 – AEST
Free online interactive performances: http://griffyn.iwannaticket.com.au

“They have no word for stolen, they have no word for freedom
What kind of civilisation is this?
Yoowart freedom wangkiny, nidja baal nyidiyung moort yoowart kwop
What kind of civilisation is this?”

Don’t miss the premiere of Songs from a Stolen Senate – a collaboration with six of Australia’s leading First Nation musicians who have taken parliamentary voices and reworked them into song and storytelling from the perspective of their own life stories.

You will be able to experience six unique Australians from a diversity of genres and backgrounds: Aranda country music icon Warren Williams; inspirational Noongar singer-songwriters Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse, Norah Bagiri from Mua Island in the Torres Straits; Canberra based Christopher Sainsbury from the Dharug nation and Yuin composer Brenda Gifford.

This collaboration weaves together their unique individual reflections of our political landscape through music. From stolen generations, to the words of Ken Wyatt, Songs from a Stolen Senate offers different perspectives of our national past and the Australian parliament. In the words of Gina Williams:

“As far as I’m aware, there is no word for stolen and freedom in our language [Noongar] … I thought that would be an interesting thing because these are recurring words when people are talking about Aboriginal people, so that became the basis of the song. It was quite painful to read some of the transcripts – but taking difficult subjects and words and making them beautiful is a way we can look at it differently”

You can secure your attendance to these free events by registering at the Griffyn Ensemble’s ticketing website. Links to the Live Online Performances will be sent via email on the week of the events, from the 31st of August. Songs from a Stolen Senate is presented by the Where You Are Festival with the support of the ACT Government and Mulligan’s Flat Woodland and Wetland Trust. The creative development was made possible with support through ArtsACT.

For those who have already booked – the URL for the stream will be sent by Thursday night.