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30 June 2010

Today the Wilin Centre launched 'Courageous Conversations', a book of presentations by leaders in the Indigenous performing arts.

The Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development at the Faculty of the VCA and Music, University of Melbourne, has launched an extraordinary collection of essays and reflections by leading men and women in the field of the Indigenous performing arts.

Entitled ‘Courageous Conversations’ the publication was inspired by ‘conversations’ presented during the 2009 Wilin Week – an annual event to celebrate Indigenous visual and performing arts.

Head of the Wilin Centre, Ms Michelle Evans, said the book has been compiled to give an opportunity to profile Indigenous voices and leaders working on the ground in performing arts.

“This book creates a rare opportunity for practitioners to reflect on their own journeys and experiences, to look at the challenges and barriers and present their visions and dreams for the future.”

“It is the first time such a publication has been produced, and we believe it will become an important reference for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in the arts and education sector,” Ms Evans said.

The authors included in Courageous Conversations are: Lisa Mare Syron – Performer/Director.

• Graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts; Director of Indigenous Performing Arts Training at the EORA Centre in Sydney
• Wesley Enoch – Director/Playwright.
  Graduate of the Queensland University of Technology; Director of his own production company, Cookies Table
• Sam Cook – Producer/Director/Artist.
  Graduate of Curtin University; Director of KISSmyBLAKarts™; founding member of the Blak Stage Alliance; Program Director of the Dreaming Festival
• Terri Janke – Solicitor/Author.
  Graduate of the University of New South Wales; Director of Terri Janke and Co
• Kim Walker – Choreographer/Teacher/Director.
  Graduate of National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA); performer/choreographer Sydney Dance Company; CEO/Head of Dance for NAISDA
• Rachel Maza-Long – Director/Performer/Musician.
  Graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts; Artistic Director of Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Cooperative
• Rick Brayford – Performer/Teacher/Director.
  Graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA); Coordinator of the Aboriginal Theatre Program at WAAPA 

“In the publication’s forward, well respected director/designer and performer Noel Tovey, said that Courageous Conversations is an important collection of essays.  He said for some this is in their ability to tell the story of the recent history of the sector, for others to be bold and brave, to provoke and stimulate the sector into other ways of thinking about what is needed to sustain the future of Indigenous performing arts.  I think that sums up the publication beautifully,” Ms Evans added.

Copies of Courageous Conversations are available by contacting the Wilin Centre on (03) 9685 9327 or you can download it here ( pdf file, 2MB).

Media contact:  Sue Davies, The PR Exchange – 0419 434 398