Be Brave. Make Change. At the heart of National Reconciliation Week this year is a resounding call to action. Presented as the theme for 2022, Be Brave, Make Change is both a personal and public invitation to do the work necessary to address the ongoing dispossession and colonisation of First Nations Australians. Whether that's changing your mind, changing the perspective of someone else, standing up or speaking out all in the name of healing.
The tone of National Reconciliation Week was set during the election acceptance speech of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where he laid out his intentions to enact the Uluru Statement From the Heart. A sign of new beginnings and above all hope that real change is tangible and on the horizon. Of course, words must always be followed up by action for them to have any lasting impact, and so this week (and every week for that matter) it's imperative to listen ro and take direction from the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and peoples.
This year, National Reconciliation Week will take place from May 27 to June 3, following National Sorry Day on May 26. To inspire action and learning, numerous events, workshops, talks and performances have been lined up across the country. Find a non-exhaustive list of events celebrating National Reconciliation Week 2022 below.
Australia-wide
Virtual Indigenous Film Festival
If you're unable to attend any National Reconciliation Week events in person, tune into VIFF instead. With screenings taking place across May 26-30, including Warwick Thornton's series Firebite, My Name is Gulpilil, Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, Off Country and First Nations Shorts, you can enjoy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cinema from the comfort of your own home. Plus, there will be a Q&A following each screening with conversations from community elders, filmmakers and other guest speakers.
NSW
The National Arts School's weekly after hours events series will amplify First Nations at its upcoming Thursday event. There will be live music from Cloe Terare and sets from DJ LEO TANOI and Babala. On top of this FLENK collective educators, Merindah Funnell, Katy B Plummer, Ethan Bell and Emily Lienert, will engage with a selection of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks from the 23rd Biennale of Sydney rīvus at NAS.
Snatch up tickets to see Meyne Wyatt's moving drama City of Gold at Sydney Theatre Company. Directed by Shari Sebbens, the performance follows Breythe, a Wongutha-Yamatji man doing his best to make it as an actor on the east coast. When his father dies he makes the trip back to his hometown Kalgoorlie, where he finds his siblings and cousin reeling with grief and anger. It features that viral monologue, and is personally the best theatre performance I've ever seen.
Held at the Powerhouse Museum, more than 400 objects from the Powerhouse Collection are blended with 17 new commissions to spotlight the gum tree and our evolving relationship to it.
VIC
National Reconciliation Week at Melbourne Quarter
Head into Melbourne Quarter for a lineup of events in line with National Reconciliation Week 2022. These include a market pop-up where beloved First Nations labels like Haus of Dizzy, Clothing the Gap, Gammin Threads and Our Dilly Bag will be selling their wares. There will also be live music and a floral installation from Alchemy Orange florist and Yorta Yorta woman Shahn Stewart.
QLD
See QAGOMA's collection of First Nations art through the eyes of Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri artist and curator Sam Harrison on Sunday, May 29 from 11:30am-12:30pm. Harrison will cover works from artists such as Judy Watson, Doreen Reid Nakamarra, Ryan Presley and Vernon Ah Kee for an afternoon of intimate storytelling.
SA
Nguyanguya muri wamangka (Reconciliation In The Park)
Reconciliation South Australia is holding a free concert and community event on Friday, June 3 at Pinky Flat, Tarntanya Wama. The concert will kick off at 4pm and as the sun goes down a lineup of musicians will perform; namely, Baker Boy, J-MILLA, Tilly Tjala Thomas, Deadly Nannas & SVLLO. Market stalls, art and food will accompany the festivities.
NT
Akeyulerre Elders will facilitate a workshop on June 1, from 3:30-5pm at Andy McNeill Room, Civic Centre sharing knowledge of how native plants are prepared, eaten and made for medicinal purposes and their ceremonial and cultural importance.
Arrernte Language and Culture Workshop
Eastern Arrernte senior, Veronica Perrurle Dobson will lead a workshop teaching basic Arrernte language and cultural practices. The class is free and will occur on May 31 from 3:30-5pm at Andy McNeill Room, Civic Centre.
TAS
Start your day with breakfast at the Tasman Room at Wrest Point in Hobart and hear Thomas Mayor and Kaytlyn Johnson speak on the importance of a Voice to Parliament. The event will be held on June 1, from 7-9am.
WA
Revealed Exhibition returns to Fremantle Arts Centre once again for National Reconciliation Week to celebrate the creativity, ambition, and diversity of contemporary Aboriginal Art practice in Western Australia. On show until July 24, the exhibition includes workshops, artist talks, demonstrations, an art market and many more activities.
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