This is me reading at APT9 Summer Festival on the GOMA LawnA special moment in front of sign with my name on it! Also meeting the Kiribati community. I travelled to Kiribati when I was twenty so it was lovely to see them storytelling at the festival as well.Checking out the Bollywood dancing. Fantastic fun. All families especially into it.Meeting two Papua New Guinea ladies, Veronica from the Bouganville Brisbane community and a Papua New Guinea lady resident in Brisbane learning PNG weaving. This reminded me of my days in Tully with my Vanuatu and Aboriginal friend, crafting and chatting. Although today I just watched.Debut of the Brolga poem. It went so well this day. Here we are being brolgas.The two hand puppets. Must do a post on them all on their own. Thanks so much to David Perkins for making these. So happy with how they came out.Very special to have my poetry auslan translated for two of the performances by Maree from Deaf Services, Queensland.
I read some Magic Fish Dreaming poems as well as a poem inspired by Sydney Long’s painting Spirit of the Plains daily over the three days of the festival.
It was so much fun to share these poems and the story behind their inspirations.
I loved performing my new ‘Brolga’ poem and ‘Cassowary Chat’ with the help of the children and two home made puppets.
Some other poems performed were ‘Giggle Poems’, ‘Curtain Fig Tree’, ‘River Song’,’Brahminy Kite’, ‘Discovering Magic’, and ‘Magic Fish Dreaming.’ I varied it a little each day, but performed the participatory puppet poems every day!
The setting by the river under the shade of a tree was just perfect, and cool and comfortable for families.
Thank you so much to all those families who stopped to listen and participate in the storytelling.
A big thanks to Laura, Roshni, David and my family for their supports on the day and Hannah for support in the lead up. As well as to Maree from Deaf Services Queensland, for her Auslan of the poems.
Working hard towards some new poems, and especially keen to include the Brolga poem in a new collection for children.
Whilst the festival is over, the exhibition continues and you can find out more here. APT9 DETAILS
Writer, photographer, lover of unity in diversity in thought and humanity - poet by nature, world citizen, Papua New Guinea Indigenous and Anglo Celtic (French and English) heritage and Australian raised.
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Reblogged this on Ripple Poetry .
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This looks like a wonderful event, June. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join you.
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