Project: Aboriginal Life and Sydney Harbour Arts Incubator
Organisation: Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
Place: The Rocks
Year: 2011-2016
Project Type: Culture-led Placemaking, Curating and Programming
Header image: Koomurri perform at the naming of Tallawoladah Place
During 2011-2016 Michael Cohen, now director of City People, produced several projects that endeavoured to address the lack of Aboriginal stories visible in the public domain of The Rocks – the landing place of Europeans in Australia. Dedicated ‘interpretive arts incubators’ were the generative process for these projects which include:
- Aunty’s Blackfella Bingo – at Corroboree Festival and The Rocks Village Bizarre: directed by Peta Strachan including performances by diverse local local aunties including Marlene Cummings.
Aunty’s Blackfella Bingo – Uncle Max Eulo and Marlene Cummings
- Tallawolodah: Language on Land Artists Colin Kinchela and Paul Gazzola worked with SHFA Aboriginal Program Manager Marjorie Anderson on this temporary project which ran for 4 years during NAIDOC month using the temporary renaming of street signs, and free distribution of t-shirts and bookmarks to re-inscribe local language on land. The project ultimately had a lasting and very significant impact with the permanent naming of part of the precinct “Tallawoladah Place” – the area immediately adjacent to where Europeans landed in Warrane (Sydney Cove) in 1788.
Colin Kinchela and Marjorie Anderson
- The Rocks Boatshed was another project that emerged from a dedicated Aboriginal arts incubator (facilitated by artist Aroha Groves).
Project team members: Marjorie Anderson, Joe Hurst, Barbara McGrady, Colin Kinchela, Donna Ingram, Nardi Simpson, James Simon, Jasmine Sarin, Kyra Kum-sing, Jodi Chulburra, Rachel Perkins, Cathy Craigie, Anita Heiss, Andrea James, Alex Rosemont and Ben Bowham.
Winner of Interpretation Australia Award 2015
