The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe
A Co-PRoDuCTioN WiTH
Racing Pulse Productions
PRoDuCTioN THANKS
SuPPoRTERS
Paula Arundell, Australia for UNHCR, Jasmina Bajraktarevic, Bell Shakespeare, Wendy Blacklock, David Bradbury, Tiana Canterbury, Jason Clare, Julie Collins, Biddy Connor, Sue Cowden, Justin Di Lollo, Mohamed Dour, Kathleen Gilbert, Mitzi Goldman, Chris Hayes, Peter Harper, Matt Hingerty, Lina Kastoumis, Marko Jovanovic, Geoff Lee, Philippe Lincy, Amie McKenna, Daryl Melham, Wanyika Mshila, Dativah Murungi, Juliana Nkrumah, Zindzi Okenyo, Julie Owens, Jiva Parthipan, Bronwyn Purvis, Amanda Rose, Michelle Rowland, Scenographic Studio, Adriana Seifertova, Naomi Steer, Alice Spiegelman, George Spanos, Paul Struthers, Cathy Brown Watt, Cheryl Webster, The White Ribbon Foundation.
Production Sponsors Sky Foundation, Amnesty International Australia, Women’s Safety and Family Violence Branch, FAHCSIA, Gilbert & Tobin Production Partners Jillian Broadbent, Sandra and Barry Smorgon OAM Production Supporters Anonymous, Angela Bowne SC, The Sherman Foundation Production Friends Anonymous x 2, His Honour Judge C Armitage, Paul Elliott, The Honourable Justice Peter Anthony Johnson, Ruth Layton
A huge thanks to our community partner African Women Australia Inc
Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body. Arts NSW.
Belvoir, Racing Pulse Productions and Riverside in association with STARTTS presents
The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe Writer & Director RoS HoRiN This production of The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe opened at Belvoir St Theatre on Saturday 17 August 2013. Performers & Devisors The Women YARRiE BANguRA, AMiNATA CoNTEH-BigER, YoRDANoS HAiLE-MiCHAEL, RoSEMARY KARiuKi-FYFE The Actors NANCY DENiS, TARiRo MAVoNDo, EFFiE NKRuMAH The Singer AMiNATA DouMBiA The Dancers EDEN DESSALEgN, LiSA VioLA Associate Director/Movement LuCiA MASTRANToNE Set Designer DAN PoTRA Video Designer MiC gRuCHY Associate Designer & Costume EMMA KiNgSBuRY Songwriter AMiNATA DouMBiA Musical Director and Composer BASiL HogioS Lighting Designer NiCHoLAS RAYMENT Sound Designer & additional music STEVE TouLMiN Filmmaker JuSTiNE KERRigAN Dramaturgs YANA TAYLoR, NATALiA SAVViDES Technical Programmer PHiL DoWNiNg Stage Manager KAREN FAuRE Assistant Stage Manager giNA BiANCo Producer MiCHELLE KoTEVSKi Choreography for South African Gumboot Dance TiANA CANTERBuRY Poems: Innocence, Home Away From Home, Victory, Hair by Yarrie Bangura. Mi wanna a man by Tariro Mavondo.
PHoTogRAPHY Lisa Tomasetti DESigN Alphabet Studio
Director’s Note Ros Horin
It is extraordinary how we can accept something terrible as normal simply because it has been happening for a long time. Decent church-going folk kept slaves in America for 246 years. Women have been the spoils of war for centuries. In some societies, rape is so commonplace that no words exist to even discuss it. It’s just how things are. And have always been. And it is not just something that happens ‘over there’. The high statistics for rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence are a cause for deep shame in a developed country like Australia. But the tipping point will always come. This year the United Nations has declared that the abuse of women in war is a war crime and will be prosecuted. India has been in uproar over rape. And as Hilary Clinton declared, in her now famous speech ‘women’s rights are human rights’ and they must be fully instituted this century. The tipping point is here. Australia, as a migrant society, has a constant flow of displaced persons, fleeing persecution, and abuse. The Hungarian lady serving you coffee in Double Bay is probably a holocaust survivor. The university lecturer from South America is probably a survivor of one or another regime of generals. And so on with Iraqis, Kurds, Tamils and Hazars. 02
But women who have been abused are in a different category of humiliation – one that stays hidden deep inside them. It is almost three years since I began my initial research on this project and started meeting and getting to know these extraordinary women survivors. It all began as a very openended journey. No commitments to theatres, or timelines or productions – just gentle exploration of what might arise from the stories of their lives, what might be possible theatrically. We embarked on a weekly workshop, one evening a week in Parramatta, plus an occasional week-long workshop – spread out over two years, where we worked on building up the women’s trust, confidence and performance skills. We drummed and we talked, and we cried, and danced and laughed and sang. Gradually the form and text for this work began to take shape. I felt strongly from the start that I wanted to have the four women whose stories are at the core of this work to be in the show. Albeit, supported by other professional performers. This would enable the work to be about culture and communities, as well as four individual stories. It was extremely painful at times, as well as joyous and inspiring. Many times I stopped and asked the women, most seriously, if they would prefer not to go on, ‘to just leave it there, and go home and just get on with their lives’. However the answer that always came back,
and is indeed the motivation that has united us and held us together, was ‘if this work can help even one woman’s life, give her the confidence and courage to break free, then it is worth doing’. And I am incredibly proud of how the women themselves have been empowered by the making and performing of this work.
increasing in scale and devastating in their consequences, have become defining and increasingly acceptable features of contemporary conflict. And for many of the victims and survivors of this violence, these acts are both defining and endured experiences, gnawing reminders throughout their lives.
Despite the centrality of the experience of violence for victims So here we are. In this intimate and survivors – of recurring horror, Belvoir theatre space. After a very of loss, of shame – the making of successful first season at Riverside new lives, often in vastly different Theatre in May... contexts, requires that this harm be rendered invisible, hidden and THE BAULKHAM HILLS AFRICAN subordinated, evidently so that these LADIES TROUPE. victims and survivors of violence, predominantly women, can ‘move on.’ And miraculously, many of these women do manage to take on new lives in faraway places, in sanctuaries from the violence of war, and rebuild, restart and make novel, valued contributions to their new communities. But the memory Associate Professor Andrea of violence, the burden of harm, Durbach, Director Australian Human manifests in different ways. And we, Rights Centre, UNSW, and Patron as hosts and fellow citizens within of The Baulkham Hills African Ladies those communities, may never Troupe. know, may never understand, may never ask about the struggle to Fifteen years ago, the United Nations transcend trauma and the ongoing Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary impact of prior harm. Robinson wrote: ‘Systematic rape and other forms of gender based violence All too often, our experience of refugees from Africa – and are increasingly used as weapons elsewhere – is of what they display of war… Furthermore, the use of externally – their food, their music, rape to reinforce policies of ethnic their dance, and their ‘multicultural cleansing and the establishment of personae.’ The significance of camps explicitly intended for sexual Ros Horin’s writing and direction torture and the forcible impregnation and the refreshing and remarkable of women, are tragic developments journey we are invited to take by The which mark a definite escalation of Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe violence against women in situations is that we are transported behind of armed conflicts. These acts,
Beyond appearance, beyond assumptions
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the scenes – beyond appearance, beyond assumptions. Not only are we treated to remarkable voices and evocative songs, to dances of joy and movement in grief, but we travel with these women to their homelands, enter their histories, confront their horrors and their courage and appreciate the multiple forces that have shaped their extraordinary lives and complex identities. And that is the power of theatre. It takes us from our day-to-day worlds to those beyond our reach; exposing the madness from within the theatres of war to the resilience from within the theatre of humanity. In so doing, it offers us an understanding of the hidden, unspoken layers that shape the re-building of damaged lives and the power and the triumph of humour, compassion, and ultimately, acceptance.
A different kind of dilemma Juliana Nkrumah AM Founder/ Advisor African Women Australia Inc. With an increasing international focus on Violence Against Women, the beautifully and sensitively crafted work of Ros Horin and her team on The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe has poignantly highlighted the deep seated issues of gender based violence as endemic in both the private and public sphere, in peace time and in war, in many African countries. 04
The fact that women suffer such levels of violence in an environment where there is a dearth of institutions, government policies and services as well as limited civil society services to address these issues; the fact that in the countries of origin, violence against women is taken as a given, a part of society, the status quo and no one wants to hear, no one is able to assist, leaves women in such desperation that when confronted with structures for redress as presented on arrival in Australia, inspires a different kind of dilemma. Ros and her team have pulled the lid off a minefield of violence. One can only hope that the discussions that this production will ignite in homes and amongst groups of African communities will serve to impact women, men and families in Australia and overseas. It will lend more fuel to the position taken towards the elimination of violence against women by various UN Agencies including UN Women. Violence against women in African societies and communities need not be tolerated and need no longer be masked and overlooked. Thank you for doing this and starting a new, albeit difficult conversation!
Where to get help Women, men and young people can access a range of services to get help with relationship issues, sexual violence and counselling. Here is a list of some of those places. Remember: the silence needs to be broken.
NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) Read about STARTTS on the back cover. 02 9794 1900 startts.org.au National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service for people living in Australia 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) 1800respect.org.au NSW Rape Crisis Centre 1800 424 017 nswrapecrisis.com.au NSW Rape Crisis Centre provides the 24/7 telephone and online crisis counselling service for anyone in Australia who has experienced or is at risk of sexual assault, family or domestic violence and their non-offending supporters. The centre is committed to upholding the rights of all people to live in a socially just, equitable and nonviolent society. Domestic Violence Line 1800 656 463 (TTY 1800 671 442) community.nsw.gov.au If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can ring the Domestic Violence Line for help. The line provides telephone counselling, information and referrals for women and same-sex partners who are experiencing or have experienced domestic violence. Trained female caseworkers are sensitive to the needs of people who have experienced
domestic violence. Domestic Violence Line staff are aware of the special needs of Aboriginal women and women from other cultures, as well as those living in rural and remote areas. Interpreters and TTY can be arranged where necessary to ensure that all people, regardless of their language or disability can use the service. The Domestic Violence Line is a state-wide free-call number and is available 24 hours, seven days a week. Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 kidshelp.com.au Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential, telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25. The Line 1800 695 463 theline.gov.au In any relationship, there are things that are black and white and there are grey areas. The Line helps you navigate those grey areas, so you can enjoy healthy and respectful relationships and recognise behaviour that ‘crosses the line’. NSW Mental Health Support Line 1800 011 511 1 24 hours a day (just stay on the line) Lifeline 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au/get-help/ online-services/crisis-chat Lifeline is a confidential telephone crisis support service available 24/7 from a landline, payphone or mobile. Lifeline Crisis Support online chat operates 8pm-midnight. 05
Biographies Ros Horin Writer & Director Ros is a graduate of the Drama Centre, London. Her directing career spans three decades and she has directed productions for most of the theatre companies in Australia. As the Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre Company for 12 years she established the company’s reputation as the home of bold, contemporary Australian writing. During her time at Griffin, Ros was dramaturg on and directed over 30 new Australian plays, many of them now considered Australian classics. Highlights included Kafka Dances, Speaking in Tongues and Ship of Fools. Post-Griffin, Ros extended her skills to devising and writing. In 2005 she wrote and directed the award-winning play Through the Wire, which toured extensively. During 2006–8, she produced, directed and cowrote the libretto for the State Opera of South Australia’s workshop production of Ingkata – the Strehlow Opera, as part of the Adelaide Festival. Yarrie Bangura Performer & Devisor Yarrie is a rapper and poet and loves performing. Yarrie’s childhood dream is to work for the UN and she aims to study human rights, international relations and development. She has now added writing and performing to that dream. Yarrie is presently attending the Australian Catholic University and volunteering with Amnesty International Australia. She is from Sierra Leone and came to Australia in 2004. Gina Bianco Assistant Stage Manager Gina first entered the arts industry in 2010 as a lighting technician with Merrigong Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre, Monkey Baa, Belvoir and with Guy Sebastian on his Armageddon tour. Since then Gina has made a transition to assistant stage managing and has worked on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Belvoir) and Buried City (Belvoir/Urban Theatre Projects/Sydney Festival). Gina was stage manager for Urban Theatre Projects’ Life As We Know It.
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Aminata Conteh-Biger Performer & Devisor Aminata was almost 18 years old when rebels invaded Freetown in Sierra Leone. She was kidnapped and held hostage for several months before finally being released. Still fearing for her life, Aminata fled to neighbouring Guinea where she joined hundreds of thousands of other refugees in a UNHCR camp. Aminata was the first refugee from Sierra Leone to arrive in Australia in 2000. Aminata is an Ambassador for UNHCR Australia. She is involved in an initiative to help reduce mother and child mortality rates during childbirth in Sierra Leone, which has one of the highest rates in the world. Nancy Denis Performer & Devisor Nancy was three when she began dance training at Sydney’s Brent Street Studios under the Howard Sisters management. Her professional stage debut was playing Tessi alongside Anthony Warlow in John Frost’s production of Annie. In 2008, Nancy won a place as a member of the pop group Panjo 5. Nancy’s other screen appearances include the 2009 MTV Awards, Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, Australian Idol and Mornings with Kerri-Anne. Nancy has toured Australia with US hip-hop artists Omarion and Fatman Scoop. In 2012 she appeared in the Australian production of Hairspray the Musical. Nancy has a featured artist role in the film The Great Gatsby Eden Dessalegn Dancer Born in Ethiopia and raised in Australia, dancing is a passion and way of life for Eden. Her styles include hip/hop, dancehall, salsa, samba and afro. She has performed in the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and Rugby World Cup Finals. Eden has appeared in music film clips including Friday to Sunday (Justice Crew) and Love Mathematics (Mike Champion). Most recently, Eden was a part of the group SAEA BANYANA that competed in the TV show Everybody Dance Now. Eden was a featured dancer in the film The Great Gatsby (and also danced at the premiere and after-party). Eden performed for the Dalai Lama conference in Sydney. Aminata Doumbia Singer & Songwriter Aminata is an alto and tenor singer and songwriter. She is half Ivorian (Cote d’Ivoire) and half Burundian (Burundi) with Malian heritage. She creates songs influenced by all the countries that have shaped her: France, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and Australia. Ami started singing publicly at a young age and at 15 she joined a choir in East Africa then sang with different bands over ten years. She began a new life in Melbourne six years ago where she quickly found a home with two bands: Black Jesus Experience and Blak Roots. Ami also has her own seven-piece band, which creates new Afro funk, jazz and soul sound. 07
Phil Downing Technical Programmer Phil has been performing and recording music for over 20 years. As musical/technical director for Erth Visual & Physical, he has created live original soundtracks for numerous productions and developed techniques for synchronized delivery of audio, lighting and projections. Recent highlights include Murder (Erth, 2013) and Posts in the Paddock (My Darling Patricia, 2012). Karen Faure Stage Manager Karen was born in South Africa and has recently moved to Australia. She has worked in theatre as a stage manager for the last 15 years. Recent shows include Showboat (Cape Town Opera Company – Cape Town, Germany, Norway, Sweden tour); High School Musical (Pieter Toerien Productions/Showtime – Cape Town, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Hong Kong and China tour; The Lion King (Disney – South Africa, Taiwan, Singapore); Miss Julie (Baxter Theatre – Grahamstown Festival, Cape Town, Edinburgh Festival); and Carmen (Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour). Mic Gruchy Video Designer Mic’s work spans the fields of theatre, opera, dance, installation, feature film and television. Mic was awarded an Australia Council Creative Australia Artist’s Fellowship for inter-disciplinary practice in 2012/13. He teaches visual production at NIDA and has just completed editing the feature film Convict. His theatrical design credits include A Streetcar Named Desire, The Girl of the Golden West, Aida (Opera Australia); A Flowering Tree (Perth Festival); Wrong Skin (Performing Lines); My Bicycle Loves You (Legs On The Wall); I am Eora (Sydney Festival). Upcoming theatre productions include Freeze Frame for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy (Brisbane Festival). Yordanos Haile-Michael Performer & Devisor Yordanos (Yordy) came to Australia in 2000 to build a new life for her family. She is the mother of four incredible children and lives in Sydney’s west. Yordy recently established her own business and is busy building this up. Basil Hogios Musical Director & Composer Basil is a composer, musical director, producer and sound artist working in theatre, film and TV and installation. He has collaborated on shows for Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare and Griffin Theatre Company. Recently he was the Musical
Director and co-composer for Global Creatures/Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live directed by Nigel Jamieson. He composed and performed in the independent musical theatre production Songs For The Fallen. With Jim Sharman, he composed the songs for the Andy Warhol film Andy X and Three Furies (Sydney, Auckland, Perth and Adelaide Arts Festivals). He has recently released an anthology album A Spark In The Ashes, and will be continuing his collaboration with video installation artist Kate Murphy on new and existing works this year. Rosemary Kariuki-Fyfe Performer & Devisor Rosemary is a community leader and works as a multicultural community liaison officer for the NSW Police Force. In 2012 Parramatta Council announced Rosemary as its Citizen of the Year, in honour of her work with the African Village Market – a program aimed at helping African migrants and refugees start their own businesses, which she founded. She also founded and runs the annual African Women’s Dinner Dance. Rosemary grew up on a farm in the Kenyan town of Eldoret with her 16 siblings. Her father was an independence fighter, who spent seven years in jail – he fought against colonial rule in Kenya. Rosemary came to Australia in 1999 and she lives in Baulkham Hills. Justine Kerrigan Filmmaker As a graduate in cinematography from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Justine has a knack for putting the camera in the right place. She has won numerous awards for her cinematography, including gold and silver ACS awards. As well as shooting the visual material for The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe, Justine is also shooting a documentary about the women, their stories and the process of making this theatre work with them. Emma Kingsbury Associate Designer & Costume Emma trained at NIDA and the University of Melbourne. Her design credits include I Have Had Enough (Sydney Chamber Opera); The Criminals (Old 505); and Two By Two (Little Ones Theatre). Emma has worked on the feature films Andy X The Movie and The Wolverine and also on How to Train Your Dragon (Arena Spectacular). She was art director for Magical Tales seasons 4 and 5. Emma’s other credits as production designer include The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Lonesome West and Ubu Roi, and music videos for Planet Love Sound and Jinja Safari. Emma would like to dedicate her work on this project to Melshu Berga. 09
Michelle Kotevski Producer Michelle is currently producing singer/songwriter Perry Keyes’ new show Soft Blue Sky and Moogahlin Performing Arts’ new work This Fella, My Memory (Carriageworks/ Moogahlin). From 2009 to 2012 Michelle was the executive producer at Urban Theatre Projects where she produced Buried City (Belvoir/Sydney Festival), The Fence (Sydney Festival), Michael Essien I Want to Play As You (Antwerp Capital of Sport), the South African tour of The Football Diaries and Ama and Chan. Michelle was a creative producer with Big hART for four years, producing Junk Theory (Sydney, Adelaide and Ten Days on the Island Festivals), GOLD (Griffin Art Gallery) and working on Ngapartji Ngapartji, StickyBricks, DRIVE, Radio Holiday and This Is Living. Lucia Mastrantone Associate Director/Movement Lucia has enjoyed a varied and successful career in theatre, TV and film as an actor, physical performer, movement director and voice artist. She was part of Doppio Teatro in Adelaide for a number of years, creating cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary theatre. She was a member of Legs On The Wall for the national and international tour of Under the Influence. Lucia toured with the internationally acclaimed physical theatre piece Verona, which she co-created. As an actress she has an extensive list of credits with many of Australia’s theatre companies and has helped develop several new Australian works. Tariro Mavondo Performer & Devisor Tariro was awarded the Irene Mitchell Award upon graduating from VCA in 2011. Tariro played Mukami Obanda in Winners & Losers, Channel Seven 2013. She has toured Black Face White Mask with Western Edge Youth Arts. Tariro has been a founding member of a number of organisations such as Centre of Poetics and Justice. Tariro has been a finalist in the Australian Poetry Slam. She produced Africa’s Got Talent in May 2013. Effie Nkrumah Performer & Devisor Effie is a performer, writer, director and holds a Bachelor of Performance from the University of Western Sydney. She is assistant artistic director, choreographer and performer with Roverman Productions, Ghana’s largest and most popular theatre company. In 2012, Effie was a performer in and devisor of Buried City (Belvoir/Urban Theatre Projects/Sydney Festival). In 2011 she co-wrote/devised and performed in Ama and Chan (Urban Theatre 10
Projects). Effie was the Director of The African Theatre Project (TAPT) for Bankstown Youth Development Services, which produced No Time For Tears and The Slaves. Effie hopes to inspire and motivate people to do great things through her artistic practice in both Ghana and Australia. Dan Potra Set Designer Dan designs sets, costumes, concepts and animation for opera, theatre, large-scale events, dance and film. Most recently for Belvoir he designed Forget Me Not. International opera and theatre productions include A Perfect American (English National Opera/Teatro Real de Madrid); The Portrait (Opera North/Opera de Lorraine); Idomeneo (Coruna Festival Spain); Cyrano de Bergerac (National Theatre of Greece); Sweeney Todd (Southbank London); The Barber of Seville (Houston Grand Opera); A Streetcar Named Desire and Norma (St Gallen Opera Switzerland); La Boheme (Staatsopera Berlin Opera); and Idomeneo (Pinchgut Opera). Dan designed the costumes and projections for the US stage adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon. Dan has won three Helpmann Awards. Nicholas Rayment Lighting Designer Nicholas has created designs for US-A-UM, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Sydney Chamber Opera, Performance Space, Tamarama Rock Surfers, Force Majeure, Legs On The Wall and Australian Theatre For Young People. As an associate Nicholas has worked with Opera Australia and Will O’Rourke. Nicholas is privileged to be part of The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe, contributing to the telling of their story. Natalia Savvides Co-Dramaturg Natalia is a playwright, poet and dramaturg. Her plays include The Light Box (107 Projects), Footnote of an Obscure Revolutionary (Red Bull Theater Annual New Short Plays Festival, New York); The Promise of Sunrise (Parade Studio); and Knightsbridge (Urban Scrawl/Theatrevoice, London). Dramaturgy credits include The Bitter End (Midsumma Festival); Suddenly Last Summer and Women of Troy (both at Cellblock Theatre) and Salome (Parade Space). Forthcoming work includes adaptation/dramaturgy for Salome (Malthouse Helium) and an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s A Hunger Artist.
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Yana Taylor Co-Dramaturg Yana is a theatre-maker, performer and researcher. With version 1.0, Yana performed and created The Disappearances Project and The Table of Knowledge, was devisor/dramaturg on This Kind of Ruckus, dramaturg on CMI and The Wages of Spin. With Urban Theatre Projects, she performed in The Last Highway (2008) and was dramaturg with Strings Attached and Shopfront (2011/12). Until 2007, Yana directed and taught theatre-making, improvisation and movement at UWS Nepean. Steve Toulmin Sound Designer & additional music Steve’s composition and design credits include The Seed, Scorched (Belvoir); Little Mercy, Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness (Sydney Theatre Company); Twelfth Night (Bell Shakespeare); Beached, A Hoax (Griffin Theatre Company); Great Falls, Liberty Equality Fraternity (Ensemble); That Face (Queensland Theatre Company); Tender Napalm, Hamlet (La Boite Theatre Company); and Shakespeare’s R & J (Riverside). He is also music director for Ricki-Lee. Lisa Viola Dancer Lisa has worked professionally as a dancer, teacher and choreographer from the age of 15. She has received scholarships from international dance workshops and an array of awards for both her dancing and choreography at competitions and eisteddfods. Lisa has travelled internationally to work with choreographers and mentors. She has appeared on Channel 7’s Telethon and X Factor. In 2012 Lisa appeared on the television show Everybody Dance Now in the group SAEA BANYANA, who were finalists on the show.
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Belvoir Sponsors Corporate Partner
iT Partner
Media Partners
Major Sponsors
Supporters
Indigenous Theatre at Belvoir supported by The Balnaves Foundation
Andrew Cameron Family Foundation Besen Family Foundation Coca-Cola Australia Foundation Copyright Agency Cultural Fund Gandevia Foundation Goldman Sachs
Associate Sponsors
The Greatorex Foundation Johns N H Trust managed by Perpetual Linnell / Hughes Trust managed by Perpetual
BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION
Street Promotions Australia Teen Spirit Charitable Foundation Thomas Creative
Event Sponsors government Partners
Silver Spoon Caterers
For more information or partnership opportunities please contact our Development team on 02 9698 3344 or development@belvoir.com.au
Racing Pulse Productions Racing Pulse is an independent production company headed up by Ros Horin. Riverside A Bicentennial Project, Riverside was developed through the determination of the local Parramatta community, whose vision was realised with the opening of the theatres in 1988 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke. Riverside is a vibrant, creative hub for Parramatta and Western Sydney, presenting local, national and international work as well as producing original work and touring it nation-wide. With three venues under the one roof, Riverside hosts over 1000 professional and community performances and events annually, with 140,000 patrons each year. Riverside is thrilled to have supported this production of The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe from its earliest days. We are also delighted to be joined by partners STARTTS and Belvoir. It has been a privilege to enable the development of such an important and relevant work. riversideparramatta.com.au
corporate partner
18 & 25 Belvoir Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010 Email mail@belvoir.com.au Web belvoir.com.au Administration (02) 9698 3344 Fax (02) 9319 3165 Box Office (02) 9699 3444 Cover image: Yordanos Haile-Michael by D Lisa Tomasetti
STARTTS The NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) helps refugees deal with their past experiences and build a new life in Australia. Our services include counselling, group therapy, programs for children and young people, community development activities and physiotherapy. Opened in 1988, STARTTS is one of Australia’s leading organisations for the treatment of torture and trauma survivors. STARTTS’s cultural development team aims to develop cultural capital, production, training and access to the arts for community groups, professional artists and young people from a refugee background in partnership with mainstream organisations and artists. startts.org.au
Can you help us go further? The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe is being developed into a documentary film. The documentary chronicles the women’s’ journeys over a two-year period: from the initial exploratory workshops (already filmed), to the opening night of the show with all the trials and tribulations along the way. In doing so, it reveals inspiring courage and grace as the women face the enormous challenge of attempting to transform trauma into art and observes the healing that comes in its wake. Produced by Mitzi Goldman (Looking Glass Pictures), Executive Producer Ros Horin and directed by Ros Horin and Jen Peedom (Jungle Boys), this documentary will also form part of a free Digital Resource Pack available to front line workers across health, mental health, housing, education and employment who work with refugee women. Tax-deductible donations for the documentary can be made to STARTTS. For details please contact mitzi@lookingglasspictures.com.au