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Expect the unexpected at Phillip Island's literary festival, including a former Australian of the year sharing the stage with an indigenous rapper.
By Catherine Watson
SURELY this will be the first – and probably only – time Adam Briggs and Tim Flannery will share a stage: the unlikely combo will open the second Literary Festival of Phillip Island in the Newhaven College auditorium next Friday evening.
Flannery is an environmental warrior and former Australian of the year - the only people he makes nervous are the owners of coal mines - while the Aboriginal rapper (‘Briggsy’ to his fans) usually comes with a language warning.
Festival co-founder Kay Setches confesses she’s slightly nervous about how Briggsy's earthy language will be received in Newhaven’s hallowed halls, but she’s also looking forward to the challenge to what is sure to be a largely white, middle class, middle aged audience.
SURELY this will be the first – and probably only – time Adam Briggs and Tim Flannery will share a stage: the unlikely combo will open the second Literary Festival of Phillip Island in the Newhaven College auditorium next Friday evening.
Flannery is an environmental warrior and former Australian of the year - the only people he makes nervous are the owners of coal mines - while the Aboriginal rapper (‘Briggsy’ to his fans) usually comes with a language warning.
Festival co-founder Kay Setches confesses she’s slightly nervous about how Briggsy's earthy language will be received in Newhaven’s hallowed halls, but she’s also looking forward to the challenge to what is sure to be a largely white, middle class, middle aged audience.
Festival program She’s also hoping Briggsy’s pulling power will attract a whole new audience of young people to a literary festival.
That’s “literary” festival in its loosest sense. The Phillip Island version includes film-makers, artists, indigenous storytellers, activists … anyone with a good story to tell.
As one of the arts bureaucrats who hands out government funding put it: “There are plenty of festivals but there’s no one else doing quite what you’re doing.”
In fact this festival is so hip it’s even featured in Beat magazine, much to Setches’ delight.
Briggsy, a Yorta Yorta man, won’t be rapping next Friday night but being interviewed by Patrice Mahoney, a local artist and Kamilaroi, Anewan and Dunghatti woman from NSW. Both interviewer and interviewee are eloquent, witty challengers of the status quo, who are sure to have the audience alternately squirming and laughing.
Tim Flannery will follow with the first John Clarke oration – “The Good News for John’s Birds” – in memory of the much-loved satirist, some-time resident of Phillip Island and keen bird photographer.
The inaugural festival last year made it by the skin of its teeth: a couple of weeks before the opening the organisers had to warn presenters they might not be paid as funding had still not been approved. Only one guest pulled out.
The funding came through just in time. Over three days on a cold wet weekend in the depths of winter, hundreds of people came to multiple sessions at the Cowes Cultural Centre. Most were locals, revelling in the opportunity to hear stories and discuss books and ideas.
“People were transfixed by what they were hearing,” Setches said. “Andrew Denton, Nova Peris, Joe Fairhurst … They came out and said ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened.’ That was so good to hear. There was a wonderful vibe”
She says that having established their credentials last year, the organisers (dubbed the Storytellers) felt they could be “a bit cheekier” with this year’s line-up.
This year at least a third of the participants and sessions are indigenous. Setches says she wants to challenge the typical literary festival audience, and open new windows, by putting the two cultures side by side.
Boon Wurrung artist and ceremony man Steve Parker will conduct the welcome to country and smoking ceremony to open the festival and join Alana Marsh for a demonstration of Wayapa Wuurrk, or the principles of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Tammy Anderson will talk on the development of Indigenous theatre.
Patrice Mahoney reappears with Tammy Anderson for a session called “What Colour is an Aborigine?” Aunty Fay Muir will introduce her audience to Boon Wurrung language; the Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Group will reveal their research into the case of Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner, two Aboriginal men who were publicly hanged in Melbourne in 1841 after being convicted of murdering a sailor at what we now know as Harmers Haven.
Other sessions include Jane Caro (author of Destroying the Joint), Heather Morris (The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Helen Brown (Bono: The Rescue Cat Who Inspired A Community), Shokoofeh Azar (The Enlightenment of The Greengage Tree), Julian Burnisde (film-maker and refugee activist), Edie Wright (the Magabala books) and Michael Smith (proprietor of the Sun Cinema in Yarraville). Smith’s acclaimed film Voyage of the Southern Sun: An Amazing Solo Journey Around the World will screen on Saturday night.
When it comes to securing presenters, it helps that the Story Gatherers move in different circles: Setches was able to sign up Tim Flannery and Adam Briggs through friends of friends. “Lois got Michael Smith and Helen Brown. Samiro plays a big role in finding and booking Indigenous presenters. Anne Davie has found local story tellers. We work well together.
Setches says working with the loose-knit collective of organisers has been a joy. “I chose a group of people who love books, writing and stories and they came together. We have our best arguments and our best discussions when we’re talking about who we’re going to get and how we're going to get them.”
Asked to nominate her own dream list for the future, she rattles off “Julia Gillard, Paul Keating, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Alexis Wright, Sam Neill …”
It sounds as if there are plenty more literary festivals ahead to brighten the long cold winters.
That’s “literary” festival in its loosest sense. The Phillip Island version includes film-makers, artists, indigenous storytellers, activists … anyone with a good story to tell.
As one of the arts bureaucrats who hands out government funding put it: “There are plenty of festivals but there’s no one else doing quite what you’re doing.”
In fact this festival is so hip it’s even featured in Beat magazine, much to Setches’ delight.
Briggsy, a Yorta Yorta man, won’t be rapping next Friday night but being interviewed by Patrice Mahoney, a local artist and Kamilaroi, Anewan and Dunghatti woman from NSW. Both interviewer and interviewee are eloquent, witty challengers of the status quo, who are sure to have the audience alternately squirming and laughing.
Tim Flannery will follow with the first John Clarke oration – “The Good News for John’s Birds” – in memory of the much-loved satirist, some-time resident of Phillip Island and keen bird photographer.
The inaugural festival last year made it by the skin of its teeth: a couple of weeks before the opening the organisers had to warn presenters they might not be paid as funding had still not been approved. Only one guest pulled out.
The funding came through just in time. Over three days on a cold wet weekend in the depths of winter, hundreds of people came to multiple sessions at the Cowes Cultural Centre. Most were locals, revelling in the opportunity to hear stories and discuss books and ideas.
“People were transfixed by what they were hearing,” Setches said. “Andrew Denton, Nova Peris, Joe Fairhurst … They came out and said ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe that happened.’ That was so good to hear. There was a wonderful vibe”
She says that having established their credentials last year, the organisers (dubbed the Storytellers) felt they could be “a bit cheekier” with this year’s line-up.
This year at least a third of the participants and sessions are indigenous. Setches says she wants to challenge the typical literary festival audience, and open new windows, by putting the two cultures side by side.
Boon Wurrung artist and ceremony man Steve Parker will conduct the welcome to country and smoking ceremony to open the festival and join Alana Marsh for a demonstration of Wayapa Wuurrk, or the principles of Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Tammy Anderson will talk on the development of Indigenous theatre.
Patrice Mahoney reappears with Tammy Anderson for a session called “What Colour is an Aborigine?” Aunty Fay Muir will introduce her audience to Boon Wurrung language; the Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Group will reveal their research into the case of Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner, two Aboriginal men who were publicly hanged in Melbourne in 1841 after being convicted of murdering a sailor at what we now know as Harmers Haven.
Other sessions include Jane Caro (author of Destroying the Joint), Heather Morris (The Tattooist of Auschwitz), Helen Brown (Bono: The Rescue Cat Who Inspired A Community), Shokoofeh Azar (The Enlightenment of The Greengage Tree), Julian Burnisde (film-maker and refugee activist), Edie Wright (the Magabala books) and Michael Smith (proprietor of the Sun Cinema in Yarraville). Smith’s acclaimed film Voyage of the Southern Sun: An Amazing Solo Journey Around the World will screen on Saturday night.
When it comes to securing presenters, it helps that the Story Gatherers move in different circles: Setches was able to sign up Tim Flannery and Adam Briggs through friends of friends. “Lois got Michael Smith and Helen Brown. Samiro plays a big role in finding and booking Indigenous presenters. Anne Davie has found local story tellers. We work well together.
Setches says working with the loose-knit collective of organisers has been a joy. “I chose a group of people who love books, writing and stories and they came together. We have our best arguments and our best discussions when we’re talking about who we’re going to get and how we're going to get them.”
Asked to nominate her own dream list for the future, she rattles off “Julia Gillard, Paul Keating, Helen Garner, Tim Winton, Alexis Wright, Sam Neill …”
It sounds as if there are plenty more literary festivals ahead to brighten the long cold winters.
