Gathering Ground

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This was published 17 years ago

Gathering Ground

By Katrina Lobley

It's an understatement to say the Block, the cultural heartland of Sydney's indigenous community, has an image problem.

"Most people are afraid to come to the Block and that's a stereotype we need to break," says 21-year-old artist Willurei Kirkbright-Burney, daughter of the state's first indigenous MP, Linda Burney.

"So many people, even people associated with my friends who are my own age, say, 'Oh, I'm afraid to go down to the Block.' That's silly.

"There are some problems in this area - there are problems that exist within Aboriginal communities all over this country - but it doesn't necessarily mean that you walk down the street and you're going to get bashed or mugged or have your iPod stolen."

Kirkbright-Burney is among a multitude of artists, black and white, who have created the arts extravaganza Gathering Ground, which will unfold at the Block over three nights. Acrobats, dancers, rappers, musicians and theatre and film directors have spent the past month creating their works in collaboration with about 40 community kids, brought in from schools and drop-in centres four afternoons a week.

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All their hard work will be seen during an intimate 90-minute walking tour of the notorious neighbourhood. As the sun sets, each evening's audience will gather at the top of Eveleigh Street.

It's a spot where passers-by are often asked for things - on the day of this interview, a woman shuffles over to ask, "Hey, sis, got a smoko?" Despite moments like this, the community here is proud and close-knit; they look after each other in ways that should be the envy of other communities.


"There are heaps of positive things about this place and this community, like the children who live here and the family connections, the closeness," Kirkbright-Burney says.

Indigenous director Allan Clarke is looking forward to his role as one of two tour guides showing outsiders around the Block. The 24-year-old learned a lot about being theatrical in PACT Youth Theatre's Step Up program, where he was mentored by indigenous theatre gurus Wesley Enoch and Kirk Page. Step Up was a segue to Gathering Ground, with many of the artists involved, including Kirkbright-Burney, moving on to this event.

Clarke says at the Eveleigh Street entrance to the event, "we want to plaster old Black Theatre posters on the wall as if there is a show happening and we want to have a nod to the freedom rides with a mock-up of the bus and a picture of the original troupe that went out".

The audience will move to the grass in front of Redfern Community Centre, where there will be a smoking ceremony and welcome to country. The procession will move on, with Clarke and a fellow guide, indigenous activist Aletha Penrith, giving their insight into important sites such as the Murawina hostel.

Kirkbright-Burney's handiwork will also emanate from one of the Block's derelict houses.
"I'm doing a sound installation - the sounds of people living in a house - to symbolise the families that used to live here, and the houses that have been knocked down," she says.

The tour includes a stop at Mundines Gym, home base of boxing champ Anthony "Choc" Mundine.

Gathering Ground co-director Karen Therese says: "It's going to be presented like Jim Sharman's boxing tent, with an old carny feel at the front of the gym and then we'll invite people up to the gym. There'll be a boxing presentation and young people doing acrobatics."

The tour will move along Vine Street, where things will get louder and louder.
"It'll pick up in the protest feel and Allan and Aletha will be getting on megaphones and getting people to chant," Therese says.

The dramatic vibe continues at the basketball court, where Wire MC and Phreaze will lead a hip-hop battle.

The tour will return to the front of the community centre where there'll be an indigenous fashion parade and a screening of Kirkbright-Burney's video of kids talking about the Block.

"It'll be about [how] they feel about the area, what's great about it and how they'd feel if the Block didn't exist. I wanted to capture that there should be hope in our future, not just bleakness."

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