Video transcript
Aboriginal Drama Program 2016 – Storytelling and the Dreamtime

[music playing]

CJ: I think, in my opinion, storytelling is important because it keeps the culture alive. Obviously, our language, taken away from us, but if you pass stories down to help keep the culture alive, then teach younger generations.

[music playing]

GEMMA SUMMERHAYES: There are 27 Aboriginal students, ranging from Years 7 to 11, from schools in both Sydney and country New South Wales. They have come together here to work together to reinterpret the Dreaming stories that were told to them by Uncle Wes on the first day of the program.

CATHERINE GILHOLME: I think a workshop like this, a program like this, is really important for Aboriginal students in terms of finding out about their culture and being able to pass on cultural traditions to the next generation.

JUSTINE SHLOM: They have been given talks from Elders and people from the community so they can take what they've learned and actually implement it into a drama classroom.

DAVID GARLICK: I think it benefits the students by bringing them together from across a range of different schools so they really get to form some relationships and they've got that commonality of culture.

CJ: I've learnt different stories that I didn't know before, because there's several stories on how things are made, so thanks to Uncle Wes for that. And I've enjoyed working with other people and meeting new people.

UNCLE WES MAHER: Everything from Aboriginal culture has a story. Every tree, every stone, every hill, every river, every animal.

DONNA INGRAM: On behalf of my community and the Gadigal, I wish the students a great performance today. I know that you will have enjoyed the workshops with the fantastic people from the Moogahlin Performing Arts team.

ACTOR 1: And it came from the north.

ACTOR 2: From the north, and it travelled it's way through Australia leaving behind--

ACTOR 1: Rivers.

ACTOR 2: Mountains.

ACTOR 1: Gullies.

ACTOR 2: Valleys.

ACTOR 1: Oceans.

ACTOR 2: More oceans!

CLINT: I've learned that it's vital to keep our culture alive and to help us remember, regain our culture, to remember how we used to be and how we can still be who we are.

ACTOR 3: I'll give this bird 2 gifts, the gift of dance and the gift of imitation.

Achoo.

CAST: Achoo. Achoo. Achoo.

ACTOR 3: Ahem.

CAST: Ahem. Ahem.

CATHERINE GILHOLME: I think that the need to connect with their stories and their community, a sense of pride and ownership of their stories, but also the love of performance, and the love of storytelling itself.

UNCLE WES MAHER: Stories give us imagination. Dreamtime stories, everything in Aboriginal culture has a story.

ACTOR 2: Whoa, what are you doing here.

ACTOR 4: I followed you.

ACTOR 2: I told you you, can't come. It's going to create a war between our tribes. You have to leave now.

ACTOR 4: I'll leave in the morning.

ACTOR 2: No, you have to go now.

JUSTINE SHLOM: Throughout the 3 days that we've been here, I've kind of gained a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Indigenous culture. And therefore, you can kind of understand how the Indigenous students learn, and how their history and what's happened has impacted them personally. So, you can kind of take all that knowledge and then implement it into a drama classroom.

DAVID GARLICK: I think programs like this give us, as teachers, a little bit more confidence to explore Indigenous issues and to bring them into the classroom.

CAST: [chanting]

[music playing]

[applause]

[cheering]

[music and applause continues]