• Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Blacksonrise.com
DONATE
  • Home
    • Caribbean
    • African American
    • African
  • Consultation
  • Herbs
  • Ecourses
  • Login
    • LogOut
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • Caribbean
    • African American
    • African
  • Consultation
  • Herbs
  • Ecourses
  • Login
    • LogOut
No Result
View All Result
Blacksonrise.com
No Result
View All Result

New panel show The Whole Table shines a light on indigenous arts community

blacksonrise by blacksonrise
January 16, 2021
in Uncategorized
0
New panel show The Whole Table shines a light on indigenous arts community
0
SHARES
68
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Award-winning actor and director Shari Sebbens hopes her new show The Whole Table will encourage more people to listen and learn from indigenous voices.

Shari Sebbens remembers seeing all the black tiles flood social media last year and wondering what those people posting would do next to support the fight against systemic racism.

As the Black Lives Matter protests in the US inspired COVID-restricted marches in Australia, campaigning against the scourge of black deaths in custody, Sebbens and her friends in the arts community pondered how they could keep the conversation going.

The Jabirr Jabirr and Bardi award-winning actor and director, who stole Australia’s heart with her debut performance in The Sapphires, back in 2012, banded together with respected peers, including Wesley Enoch, Nakkiah Lui and Rhoda Roberts, to create a new NITV panel show, The Whole Table.

The three hour-long episodes, staged in conjunction with the Sydney Theatre Company, will also feature guests including prominent writer, actor and musician Briggs, Kiwi film director Taika Waititi and the unstoppable actor, author and filmmaker Miranda Tapsell.

Focusing on the past, present and future of indigenous voices in the arts, The Whole Table will explore the issues faced by indigenous creatives, which echo the lived experience of First Nations and people of colour in Australia.

Sebbens appreciates the NITV program is for a “niche audience” but hopes the pedigree of its panel and guests will draw in viewers who want to listen and learn more from indigenous voices.

“There’s a double-edged sword,” she tells The BINGE Guide.

“Being born black in this country is a political statement, our very existence is resistance. You have artists who want to tell stories, who want to speak out on these issues and then are told

to ‘shut up and sing, shut up and dance, shut up and act.’”

She laughs when it’s suggested perhaps The Whole Table could have been titled ‘Shut Up And Listen,’ joking that motto could be an ancient Aboriginal proverb which has yet to catch on in Australia.

But Sebbens suggests indigenous stories are rising to the fore in Australian film, television and music, as the arts industry adopts a more proactive role in elevating new voices.

The wildly acclaimed Mystery Road, Lui’s hit stage show Black Is The New White, Tapsell’s film Top End Wedding and a raft of indigenous singers and songwriters including Thelma Plum, Baker Boy and Miiesha have proven widely popular.

She appreciates there has been a rise in productions which reflect inclusivity and diversity within the arts community – citing her appointment as the Sydney Theatre Company’s current Richard Wherrett fellow – but points out “black and brown” creatives have to constantly push to maintain their presence on our screens and stages.

“I think this is about the gatekeepers, who are in control of the arts companies, whether it’s theatre companies, record labels or management, t and who they are letting in,” she says.

“The great thing now is how incredible it is to see the rise of First Nations and people of colour in the arts but the big question is how do we maintain it. It’s the age-old adage – it’s not a moment, it’s a movement.”

The movement has maintained its momentum throughout the year, even as Australians were isolated in their homes, due to pandemic restrictions.

Actor Meyne Wyatt’s powerful monologue, from his play City of Gold, which closed an episode of ABC’s Q + A last June generated tens of thousands of views after the show.

Musician Ziggy Ramo called out the show’s producers when he was invited onto a panel in August but was told he could not perform his preferred song April 25th; provoking a debate about censorship and whether his inclusion on the panel was a performative gesture.

Instead, he closed out the show with an emotional performance of his song, Stand For Something.

Sebbens wants those powerful moments – whether on television or the theatre stage – to have a lasting effect.

“I think about the transient nature of theatre, where we all sit in the same room and experience something wonderful and universal, and then you leave and take it away in the back part of your mind to not think about again,” she says.

“If about 10 per cent of the audience identifies as people of colour, there’s an ever-present question of ‘Who am I doing this for?’

“It’s what the predominantly white audience does after, how they reflect on the stories they have seen on stages and screens and hear in music, and how they take those lessons with them,” she explains.

While the pandemic stalled her debut as a director of her good friend Deborah Mailman in the STC production of Wesley Enoch’s powerful contemporary indigenous work The 7 Stages Of Grieving, Sebbens is gratefully enjoying one of the busiest periods of her career.

As well as developing new theatre works, she will take part in the first Netflix talent hub to develop 10 indigenous-led productions in February.

“I’m working on expanding my skill set to screen directing and writing and there are things in the pipeline,” she teases.

“There’s a bunch of incredible black creative teams involved in the indigenous talent hub in February which was the intelligent and logical next step for Netflix in Australia.”

* The Whole Table, 8.30pm Wednesday, January 20 on NITV and SBS On Demand

Credit: Source link

Previous Post

Churches join push for vaccinations – Florida Courier

Next Post

Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving Fined $50,000 For Violating NBA COVID-19 Protocol

Next Post
Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving Fined $50,000 For Violating NBA COVID-19 Protocol

Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving Fined $50,000 For Violating NBA COVID-19 Protocol

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

HOT Updates

Africa: Opening Ceremony of the High-Level Virtual Conference On Expanding Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing for Health Security
African News

Africa: Opening Ceremony of the High-Level Virtual Conference On Expanding Africa’s Vaccine Manufacturing for Health Security

April 14, 2021
Why Spend Gh¢5million to construct Ghana Awards House whilst hospitals, schools continue to suffer? — Govt quizzed
African News

Why Spend Gh¢5million to construct Ghana Awards House whilst hospitals, schools continue to suffer? — Govt quizzed

April 15, 2021
Caribbean Life: Queens Edition: April 16, 2021
Caribbean News

Caribbean Life: Queens Edition: April 16, 2021

April 16, 2021
Chad’s Deby takes early election lead, partial results show – SABC News
African News

Chad’s Deby takes early election lead, partial results show – SABC News

April 18, 2021
Uncategorized

Limpopo Tourism decries downgrade of Polokwane Airport – SABC News

April 13, 2021
James leads multistate lawsuit to end Facebook’s monopoly
Caribbean News

James applauds Biden’s efforts to end Title X ‘gag rule’

April 17, 2021
Uncategorized

Speaker donates 200 bags of rice, 100 packs of sugar to Ghana Federation of Disabled

April 17, 2021
Eastern Caribbean blazes a trail as first currency union to launch central bank digital cash
Caribbean News

Eastern Caribbean blazes a trail as first currency union to launch central bank digital cash

April 12, 2021
‘Our hearts are heavy’ over shooting of Daunte Wright :: WRAL.com
African American News

‘Our hearts are heavy’ over shooting of Daunte Wright :: WRAL.com

April 13, 2021
Louis, Williams condemn police killing of Daunte Wright
Caribbean News

Louis, Williams condemn police killing of Daunte Wright

April 14, 2021
Uncategorized

Energy department cautions against closure of oil refineries – SABC News

April 15, 2021
(BPRW) Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Joins Pastor Hackett’s Protest for Diversity on Chancery Court | Press releases
African American News

(BPRW) Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware Joins Pastor Hackett’s Protest for Diversity on Chancery Court | Press releases

April 15, 2021
San Francisco Human Rights Commission Issues Grants from City Reallocation Fund
African American News

San Francisco Human Rights Commission Issues Grants from City Reallocation Fund

April 17, 2021

BlackSonRise.com is an online news portal which aims to provide Caribbean News, African News, Business and much more stuff like that. Feel free to get in touch with us!

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • Chad’s Deby takes early election lead, partial results show – SABC News
  • San Francisco Human Rights Commission Issues Grants from City Reallocation Fund
  • Speaker donates 200 bags of rice, 100 packs of sugar to Ghana Federation of Disabled

Subscribe NOW

Loading
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 Blacksonrise.com is an online news, e-learning, and business website that caters to the global black community.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • Caribbean
    • African American
    • African
  • Consultation
  • Herbs
  • Ecourses
  • Login
    • LogOut

© 2019 Blacksonrise.com is an online news, e-learning, and business website that caters to the global black community.

USD $
  • USD USD $
  • EUR EUR €
  • GBP GBP £