THE OTHER JOURNEY
The Parramatta River has witnessed countless tides of displacement and settlement. For this year’s Parramasala (Australia’s Festival of South Asian Arts) it will set the stage for a retelling of one such story, told in a way few will have seen before. Shakthi Sivanathan, of CuriousWorks explains further.
How did The Other Journey project come about? These are stories of three people who fled war in Sri Lanka to rebuild their lives in Australia. I wanted to design an art work that took you into these people’s lives without feeling difference, scorn or pity for them. The Other Journey is my attempt to give these lives a simple dignity and a familiarity. The way they tell their stories in the work, it’s very informal, intimate, reflective… it’s like being in someone’s living room for a night and going through a bottle of whiskey with them as you swap life stories. For the show we couldn’t include the whiskey bit of course, there would probably be some OH&S problems with that.
What are the elements involved? There are two versions of the show. One is just for passersby: we’ll have video works projected onto Parramatta River and sculptures hung in the sky above it, reflecting the thousands of journeys different Sri Lankans have made to this country. You’ll see it on your way to Riverside Theatres. But the other version of the show is the real kicker: an audio journey, told through an mp3 player and headphones. This audio journey contains the intimate interviews with the three Lankan Aussies who are the focus of the work. Their stories are set to a luscious soundscape which mixes up Eastern and Western musical influences. Audiences who take this version of the show will be able to sit on the river bank and then ride down the river on a small boat, in and amongst the projections, listening to the stories and the music. I’m a little jealous that I don’t get to do it myself, but the CuriousWorks folk will be your guides for the night, making sure everything goes smoothly.
What have the main battles been for those who undertook this journey across the oceans? The Other Journey focuses on the emotional and psychological battles, as well as the physical ones you are probably more aware of, that come from living in war. Refugees generally start off refusing to leave their country; they only leave when their children, or family, are in imminent danger. Then they often feel guilty when they come to Australia, for ‘deserting’ their people. Thus the major internal battle is self-acceptance of their new found safety and opportunity, of giving themselves a chance to rebuild their lives here. What’s been fantastic to see is that by and large the refugees we work with eventually settle here and become Australians in ways that give back to the community, as they so aware of its needs. I guess one of the battles in getting this work together has been to showcase just how epic this internal battle really is: but I’m proud to say I think we’ve achieved this and the show really does provide an epic experience for its audience.
What is meant by this: “Every audience member will take something special away with them, and leave something personal behind”? We’re making some rather beautiful gifts for each person who attends the show. As for the rest… well, you’ll have book tickets to find out.
You say this is your most intimate work yet. How so? You know when you’re listening to music on headphones outdoors somewhere, and it just feels like the music is the perfect fit with where you are, that particular time and place? It’s such an intimate feeling: between you and your headphones really. We’ve tried to maximise the potential of that exchange with this artwork. The Other Journey is like the most beautiful listening experience one can imagine. It’s just about you, the stories, the music and the river.
And finally, what is next for CuriousWorks? After we get some sleep? On a beach somewhere? Well, I’ll be recording some more music and getting a new play together. But underneath all of the Curious Works is also a community development model that empowers the community with a platform to tell its own stories for the long term. To that end, we’ll be helping the refugees we’ve been working with for this show to set up their own small business in media production. This not only helps them get a leg up in their new home but also helps provide an income to support their efforts to keep telling stories of their people. You’ll be able to keep in touch with the stories they have to tell at www.curiousworks.com.au: a lot of the work we do are short films showcased online. Let us know what you think!
Oct 31-Nov 5, Parramatta River, $20, 8839 3399, parramasala.com/
