By Laura Brearley
ONE OF the many things that COVID has revealed to me, is that if you love a place, it will love you back. It’s an extension of Arthur Rubinstein’s idea that "if you love life, life will love you back". This year, Terry and I have been walking close to home more than ever before. We have discovered many new places, sometimes returning at different times of the day, as the light and the length of the shadows change.
During the COVID era, my love of this region has grown ever deeper. I love the gentle lapping of water along the Western Port Bay coastline and I love the surf crashing on to rocks at Kilcunda. I love the floating morning mists at the mouth of the Bass River and in the hills behind Grantville. I love the peace of the Rhyll wetlands and the pink stillness of Swan Lake at sunset.
ONE OF the many things that COVID has revealed to me, is that if you love a place, it will love you back. It’s an extension of Arthur Rubinstein’s idea that "if you love life, life will love you back". This year, Terry and I have been walking close to home more than ever before. We have discovered many new places, sometimes returning at different times of the day, as the light and the length of the shadows change.
During the COVID era, my love of this region has grown ever deeper. I love the gentle lapping of water along the Western Port Bay coastline and I love the surf crashing on to rocks at Kilcunda. I love the floating morning mists at the mouth of the Bass River and in the hills behind Grantville. I love the peace of the Rhyll wetlands and the pink stillness of Swan Lake at sunset.
And I love the birds. So many birds. I love the V-lines of birds that fly over the Conservation Hill Reserve at dusk. They come in waves and fly so low at times you can hear the whoosh of their feathers in the air. I love the way the pelicans gather as a community at Settlement Point in Corinella and in the wetlands near Churchill Island.
Birds are Singing Country. Video: Terry Melvin Terry has just finished a new film about some of the birds we love and live with here on Boon Wurrung/Bunurong Country. His film is called ‘Birds Are Singing Country’.
The film features images of birds in some of these beautiful places. It also includes the words of Trawlwoolway artist and writer Lisa Kennedy. Lisa shares our deep love for this region and has a special affinity with birds. In the film, she says:
‘Birds are the closest living connection we have to our Ancestors
They still have their own language
They relate to us through Country
Their families lived with our Old People
When we’re walking on Country
There’s a web of relationships between us, Birds and Land
Birds are singing Country
They invite us to sing Country too
Song men and women are hearing new songs
Old People are speaking through them
We hear the songs
They help us remember who we are
Country is listening
We become strong … together again’.
The film’s soundtrack is an improvisation from an ensemble of Indigenous and non-Indigenous musicians: Steve Sedergreen (keyboards), Michael Jordan (drums), Uncle Ron Murray (didgeridoo), Uncle Herb Patten (gumleaf) and a soundscape recorded by Daniel Browning. Musician and recording engineer Anthony ‘ToK’ Norris produced the track.
Something magic emerges in creative collaborations between artists that are based on trust. The generosity of spirit that enables the work is palpable and a pleasure to witness. We saw this magic recently in the wonderful wave of creativity that was elicited by John Mutsaers’ invitation to the community to respond to his recent exhibition ‘The Infinite Birdcage’ at the Wonthaggi Artspace. The writing his invitation inspired on the theme of freedom encompassed many genres – personal narratives, short stories, poetic text and philosophical reflections. Some of the offerings were light-hearted and some were deeply moving. Some were both.
Another level of creativity and connection emerged in this project when the writing was transformed into spoken word and combined with John’s images and Mark Finsterer’s beautiful guitar compositions. Liane Arno from the Wonthaggi Artspace facilitated this dimension of the project and the outcome was a collection of textured, multi-layered works of community art. It was a participatory adventure of reciprocity, trust and playfulness. What’s not to love about that?
COVID has brought with it an opportunity to recalibrate our lives and to reassess what matters most. It has come with an invitation to consume less and to spend our time more consciously and creatively. In Theodore Roszak’s words, “The more people have time to experience the joys of creativity, the less they will be consumers, especially of mass-produced culture. I see that as a kind of new wealth that counts for more than owning material things.”
A creative reframing of our values and a deepened appreciation of each other and of the place we share is a great gift. I say thank you to that.
You can see Birds are Singing Country on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/429909060
and on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuIKFsT3BBY
The film features images of birds in some of these beautiful places. It also includes the words of Trawlwoolway artist and writer Lisa Kennedy. Lisa shares our deep love for this region and has a special affinity with birds. In the film, she says:
‘Birds are the closest living connection we have to our Ancestors
They still have their own language
They relate to us through Country
Their families lived with our Old People
When we’re walking on Country
There’s a web of relationships between us, Birds and Land
Birds are singing Country
They invite us to sing Country too
Song men and women are hearing new songs
Old People are speaking through them
We hear the songs
They help us remember who we are
Country is listening
We become strong … together again’.
The film’s soundtrack is an improvisation from an ensemble of Indigenous and non-Indigenous musicians: Steve Sedergreen (keyboards), Michael Jordan (drums), Uncle Ron Murray (didgeridoo), Uncle Herb Patten (gumleaf) and a soundscape recorded by Daniel Browning. Musician and recording engineer Anthony ‘ToK’ Norris produced the track.
Something magic emerges in creative collaborations between artists that are based on trust. The generosity of spirit that enables the work is palpable and a pleasure to witness. We saw this magic recently in the wonderful wave of creativity that was elicited by John Mutsaers’ invitation to the community to respond to his recent exhibition ‘The Infinite Birdcage’ at the Wonthaggi Artspace. The writing his invitation inspired on the theme of freedom encompassed many genres – personal narratives, short stories, poetic text and philosophical reflections. Some of the offerings were light-hearted and some were deeply moving. Some were both.
Another level of creativity and connection emerged in this project when the writing was transformed into spoken word and combined with John’s images and Mark Finsterer’s beautiful guitar compositions. Liane Arno from the Wonthaggi Artspace facilitated this dimension of the project and the outcome was a collection of textured, multi-layered works of community art. It was a participatory adventure of reciprocity, trust and playfulness. What’s not to love about that?
COVID has brought with it an opportunity to recalibrate our lives and to reassess what matters most. It has come with an invitation to consume less and to spend our time more consciously and creatively. In Theodore Roszak’s words, “The more people have time to experience the joys of creativity, the less they will be consumers, especially of mass-produced culture. I see that as a kind of new wealth that counts for more than owning material things.”
A creative reframing of our values and a deepened appreciation of each other and of the place we share is a great gift. I say thank you to that.
You can see Birds are Singing Country on Vimeo https://vimeo.com/429909060
and on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuIKFsT3BBY