30.04.25
Welcome to the Brewarrina edition of the Griffin e-news!
This time last week, I was setting up in the Brewarrina Community Hall for the screening of the filmed version of Blaque Showgirls by Nakkiah Lui as part of Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival. Griffin was thrilled to be included in this year’s festival which celebrated its 10th Anniversary.
Moogahlin Performing Arts are the driving force behind the festival, a social impact project that brings together and celebrates artists, food, culture and community. It takes place on the banks of the Ba-wun River, which this year was swollen with flood water, but the days were big and sunny with the endlessness of the outback.
Brewarrina is famous for its ancient fish traps (Ngunnhu) and one of the great inter-tribal meeting places in Eastern Australia. For the Festival’s Opening Ceremony & Corroboree this year, dance groups from as far as Queensland as well as local groups performed against the bright night sky, sharing their talent and joy and pride. It was magic and a privilege to be there.
To be honest, I had forgotten how often nipples are referenced in Blaque Showgirls. Context is everything and it was a little surreal watching the film and seeing the SBW Stables Theatre transported to a community hall in outback NSW. I’d also forgotten how many razor-sharp one-liners there are in this play and it was warming to see one Aunty chuckling away up the back of the hall. Alongside the laughs, Nakkiah’s writing packs a political punch, commenting on white and Blak Australia and the many injustices still present in this country. As one friend said to me while I was in Bre, as a white Australian, the first step is showing up.
The screening of Blaque Showgirls is possible thanks to our partners at Australian Theatre Live who filmed six Griffin productions through 2022 and 2023 funded through the Office for the Arts. Now that the SBW Stables is being demolished, these time capsules feel ever more precious. You can catch some of them through ATL’s online streaming service here.
While I was in Bre, Griffin HQ was getting ready for our next two productions. This week we have a table read for Koreaboo by the multi-talented Michelle Lim Davidson as she makes final tweaks the script for this heart-warming, K-pop bopping new work directed by Jessica Arthur. Also, this week, we’re testing the waters for the full monty in Naturism by Ang Collins, guided by our Intimacy Director Chloë Dallimore. All will be revealed in due course!
Before I sign off, I want to share my personal highlight of the Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival. No, it wasn’t the fashion parade I got roped into by Wiradjuri fashion designer Su Lousick (Dandaloo Su), or the moorish fish feed on the last day, or even the many incredible dancers and singers that impressed the socks off everyone over the four days of the festival. It was seeing a young kid I met when I first went to Brewarrina in 2014, Thomas French. Back then he was curious and cheeky and wanted any job we’d give him while we were filming a documentary. Now he is tall and strong and has a job with the local fire brigade and is looking after his Nan and Aunty. He is everything this country needs right now, and I left Bre with my heart full.
Finally, a big shout out to the incredible team at Moogahlin for working so hard to deliver the festival, especially Lily Shearer, Natano Fa’anana, Leroy Parson, Megan Kelly, Aroha Pehi, Stephen Wilson Barker, Rhanda Mansour and Griffin’s man on the ground, Sam Gray.
Love,
JC
Julieanne Campbell
Executive Director & Co-CEO
