Wiradjuri and First Nations Creatives
The program was first launched in 2021 with Lorrainne Connelly Northy, and in subsequent years has involved Wiradjuri and First Nations artists such as Debbie Wood, Juanita McLauchlan and Lillardia Briggs Huston. The program aims to support Wiradjuri and First Nations creative practitioners through art programs and opportunities in an inspiring and safe cultural environment.
In 2024 Wiradjuri Creatives will commence on Saturday 27 July at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery under the guidance of leadership of Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Cheryl Penrith OAM. The 2024 program will focus on various forms of writing storytelling, including yarning, poetry, prose, autobiographical storytelling, filmmaking, podcasting and songwriting. Participants can attend one or multiple sessions, and all sessions are free.
This year’s program, The Ways of Words, will focus on various forms of writing storytelling, including yarning, poetry, prose, autobiographical storytelling, filmmaking, podcasting, and songwriting. Wiradjuri and First Nations participants can attend one workshop, a handful or every workshop in the series.
All sessions are free to Wiradjuri and First Nations People in Wagga Wagga and the region and are designed for people aged 18+.
Coffee, tea, and light refreshments will be served. All workshops are held at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. Bookings are essential.
Wandira. What’s Your Story?
With Aunty Cheryl Penrith and Lliane Clarke
Saturday 27 July
Time: 10am- 2pm with a break and refreshments
Sharing our life experience together encourages us all to live with a greater understanding of who we are. Wandira is a Wiradjuri word that means ‘stand strong in your own light’. Join Aunty Cheryl Penrith to celebrate culture, strengthen your own voice, and explore the power and possibilities of storytelling.
When we speak to each other and share our story, we discover, refine and strengthen our powerful voice. This workshop brings us together in a safe and creative space to make, write and record stories that leaves us with a stronger joy of who we are and our place.
Have fun, connect with community, play with words, and develop your own potential to stand strong in your own light. Aunty Cheryl will be working with Lliane Clarke, Artistic Director of Voices of Women in the workshop. All participants should bring in objects of their own to work with - anything special or personal from their house, garden or studio
Storytelling with Language through Filmmaking - with Bernard Higgins.
Saturday 3 August Time: 10am- 1pm with a break and refreshments
Proud Wiradjuri man, Bernard Higgins is the owner and principal creative of Birdyuland Animations. Bernard is a strong advocate of his language and culture in his filmmaking work. In this workshop, Bernard will be sharing his storytelling process and broad knowledge and skills of Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage. Participants will discuss, develop and write a short story about Wagga with the aid of Uncle Stan Grant’s Wiradjuri dictionary. The group will walk to nearby areas of the Wollundry Lagoon and Murrumbidgee River to record video footage. Back at the Gallery, Bernard will guide participants with Wiradjuri pronunciation in adding voiceover to their film footage and finally editing their short films. Participants should bring a fully-charged smartphone.
Songwriting for the Soul – with Lawrence Barlow
Saturday 10 August Time: 10am - 1pm with a break and refreshments
Lawrence “Lollipop” Barlow, a Nympaa and Wiradjuri man has been singing, writing songs, and entertaining the people of the Riverina from Condobolin, to Griffith to Wagga Wagga and beyond for over 30 years.
In this session, Lawrence will bring his guitar and lead discussion about the power of song to carry story. Participants will yarn about the songs close to their own hearts, and how certain songs become the soundtrack to life’s big events. Lawrence will guide participants to write their own song. A great song can be as simple as “three chords and the truth!”
Ekphrasis at the Gallery - with Marie Clear
Saturday 17 August Time: 10am - 1pm with a break and refreshments
Using the Gallery’s current exhibition Our Song, Our Country as inspiration, Marie Clear will guide participants in their own “ekphrasis” – a poem, story, or prose, written in response to the beautiful paintings by Aboriginal artists from remote APY lands.
Marie is a Wiradjuri woman who lives, loves, and writes poetry, prose and short stories in Wagga Wagga and is a member of Booranga Writers. She is a mother, grandmother, and foster mum. Marie hopes that her readers can relate and find some hope in her writings, some of which are written about domestic violence and abuse.
Marie has been commended in the Sutherland Shire Literary Competition (2020), published in, The Fabian journal (2022) and the Mona magazine (2022) Booranga Anthology Four W 29, (2019) Booranga Anthology Four W 30, (2020) Booranga Anthology Four W 31, (2021) Booranga Anthology Four W 32, (2022) and Finding My Feet (Melbourne Poets Union's Anthology 2024).
