Attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and must comply with any other precautionary measures Writing NSW puts in place.

Blak & Bright partners with Writing NSW to host satellite event at Callan Park, Sydney

Australia’s leading First Nations writers’ festival comes to Sydney for the first time, with a satellite event to be hosted by Writing NSW on Saturday 19 March 2022.

The day will feature a mix of streamed sessions from the Melbourne festival as well as live activities with First Nations artists.

Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival is a celebration of First Nations stories and writers, bringing together the world’s oldest storytelling traditions in bold and innovative ways.

The Melbourne festival runs from Thursday 17 until Sunday 20 March and features over 70 exciting storytellers in a program of 27 events from oral stories to epic novels, from poems to monologues, from history to activism, from food to country.

The Sydney event at Writing NSW on Saturday 19 March will include a live stream of four sessions. ‘Sistas Are Doing It’ asks four Blak writers how they juggle writing within their busy lives, while ‘Yung Blak & Bold’ invites three young writers who have been in correspondence to share snippets of their conversations about what issues they believe matter most. In ‘The Wright Stuff’, Alexis Wright will read from her award-winning oeuvre, and in ‘Big Blak Poetry Read’ six poets will read three of their best poems.

Live Sydney sessions will include a Gadla Warra (Fire Talk) facilitated by Rodney Graham Turner, offering the opportunity to gather, sit and talk about the discussions and performances streamed earlier in the day.

For more information on the Melbourne festival visit www.blakandbright.com.

SCHEDULE

Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country – 11:00 AM

Sistas Are Doing it – 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Four fabulous Blak women with extraordinary lives; Aunty Ronnie Gorrie, Chelsea Watego, Nardi Simpson and moderated by Sonia Cooper. How do they juggle writing lives and busy lives? They have some stories to tell …

Yung Blak & Bold – 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Three young writers, Jazz Money, Teela May Reid and Davey Thompson, have been corresponding in the months leading up to the Festival. They’ll share snippets of their correspondence and the things that matter now.

Lunch (BYO) – 1:30 – 2:15

Gadla Warra (Fire Talk) – 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Gadla Warra (Fire Talk) was introduced into Australia by Jacob Boehme (Narangga/Kaurna) in partnership with Judy Harquali (Toronto, Canada) for the inaugural Yirramboi Festival 2017, as part of a suite of programs exploring critical thinking and First Nations arts.

This Fire Talk session offers audiences the opportunity to gather, to sit and to talk about the discussions and performances they have just witnessed as part of the Blak & Bright Festival. Fire Talks are designed to allow audiences to create new language and deeper meaning that informs constructive cultural criticism around First Nations writing and performance.

Facilitated by Rodney Graham Turner.

Bookings are limited. Participants must have attended Sista’s are Doin’ It and/or Yung Blak & Bold events in order to attend this session.

Guided Reflection and Discussion – 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Join MC Ali Murphy-Oates for an informal group discussion reflecting on the morning sessions.

The Wright Stuff – 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM

Alexis Wright reads from her award winning oeuvre and a special treat – an excerpt from a new work. Moderated by Jane Harrison.

Big Blak Poetry Read–5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Six of the fiercely best poets read three of their best poems. With Jazz Money, Charmaine Papertalk Green, Tony Birch, Kirli Saunders, Ellen van Neerven, plus International poet Tusiata Avia.