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Story Week 2022 Artist, Kween Kibone - Kween G, (Black Jam, Australia Poetry Slam - National Final)

STORY WEEK 2022: 15-23 October

VIEW ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Story Week acknowledges that we share our words and stories on unceded Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes lands. We pay our respects to the Bidjigal, Gadigal, Dharawal. Darkinjung, and Awabakal peoples, the rightful owners of the Countries from which much of Story Week will take place or be streamed. Story Week would also like to recognise the Ancestors, Elders, and young people from all Indigenous communities across this great land.We honour the sacrifices made by the First Nations' peoples of this continent, understanding that all settlers benefit from stolen land, and we pledge to continue our work towards equity and reparations in all forms of storytelling.

Imagine the wheel is first invented as a sculpture of people telling stories. The moon also inspires. Rings of split trees. Droplets on puddles. Pupils in irises.

The name “Word Travels” is the elixir of two metaphors – stories shared around the globe. The trajectory of this spherical meta forest is International Story Week.

In a circle the sharer asks, “What story do you want to hear?” 

The group responds and the sharer tells and shows.

Afterward, the group asks, “What story would you like to share?” 

The teller shares moments of transformation that help us codify our chaos.

We sit in imperfect circles. Sharing moments of change: conflict followed by reassuring resolution. You are still alive to tell us. If you are not, surely your children are telling their children. We find meaning here. Metaphor: the circle of life. Birth – story – story – story – death – story – story –….

STORY WEEK PROGRAM

GUEST CURATORS

HANI ABDILE

“Joy has arrived at my doorstep. Story Week is where beauty and pride meet. We all visit part of us that is hard to digest. Memories that we left in our notebooks are making remarks again. One of the reasons I love Story Week is that it is a trampoline of Ideas. It is finding peace through the words of your fellow poets. It's a comfortable home that you never want to leave. 

There is nothing more beautiful than listening to human stories - the simple and the more complicated, the more we are yearning to learn.  As a person who comes from a place that has so much hope but harm is the only answer, I find gratitude in Story Week and the creations of my fellow poets is permanent. The circle is a mission to my fellow listeners.”

FRED LEONE

“As the Guest Curator of this years Story Week's First Persons Voice it is my great pleasure to present three outstanding young First Nations artists each with their own unique style of storytelling.  They are:

  • Jacob Ridgeway, an Award-winning singer/songwriter/performing artist and proud First Nations Worimi and Gamilaroi man. 

  • Kootsie Don, who aims to connect with people from all over the world coming from all different backgrounds and walks of life. Unlike anything you have ever seen or heard before, Kootsie Don is a First Nations woman of Australia, delivering music and flavour that is very unique and a fresh new force in the music industry. 

  • Mr Rhodes, the prolific producer/beat-maker, award-winning lyricist/performer.

Holders of song have always been revered as the knowledge holders, wise men and women with the wisdom of the old people and the holders of visions for the future. 

This years First Person's Voice reflects our modern day Song women and Song men who are proactively sharing the stories of not only their people but the broader communities and geographical regions they belong to.  

We hope you enjoy this years look into the future of Blak, First Nations music from so called Australia.”

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