By Daniel Brace
Do you remember the moment when you fully understood what the word Country means?
I can’t remember where or when, but I can remember how I felt when I finally comprehended the beauty and totality of it. The interconnectedness of things.
The disruption of this beautiful and symbiotic relationship with Country is central to In Place, a new work for this year’s Fringe by Na Djinang Circus with Circa Cairns in the outdoor amphitheatre of Footscray Arts Centre.
I was lucky enough to speak with Harley Mann, Founder and Artistic Custodian of Na Djinang Circus and creator of In Place, a work set in a dystopian world which has been turned upside down by human intervention.
“Most works made by a blakfella are ultimately about Country. The bonds between us and Country are created slowly, organically, over tens of thousands of years. In Place is ultimately a glimpse into what could happen if you break that bond with Country and how the wounds heal. The scars that keloid,” says Harley.
The show was created with 100 participants, most from areas in the west, areas that were once grasslands. Each participant is given a native plant to grow and nurture. “These plants were once sustained by nutrients from the basalt rock which was just under the surface of the ground,” Harley tells me.
When the colonists came they mined this rock to use in buildings. Literally turning things upside down in these delicate ecosystems in the name of a distant King and power.
“The use of an abstract language like ‘circus’ allows a greater expression of themes and stories for First Nations with audiences who might not understand our language and rituals. When you think about it, the circus doesn’t really exist in your everyday life. You don’t resolve an argument at home with your partner by doing a backflip. Bodies can express so much, especially when pushed to the extreme, which is what the circus arts do,” explains Harley.
The fate of those 100 plants rests with ordinary people in the west. I can’t wait to see how the results of this journey of care and love for a tiny part of Country has informed In Place, but I’m also eager to know what each of us can do – both indigenous and non-indigenous people – to look after Country.
“Well the obvious thing is to come see the show and bring a friend!” Harley says laughing (but serious). “Country is in the intimate interconnectedness of things. Your room is Country. You know when your home needs care and love. Take that view and widen your lens.”
“These days we traverse Country so quickly. Think of the distance everytime you jump on the train and go into the city. So why not make a habit of walking in your local area. Get to really know Country, the birds and the plants. Then you’ll start to notice things. Is Country healthy? Are the birds singing and happy?
“Start to see yourself as part of the Country you are a part of, and you will start that journey of connecting and being part of Country.”
For more information about the show: https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/in-place/
