Posted on August 30, 2010 - by sophia

Creative Development & Araluen Celebration Wrap

Dear friends of Namatjira,

After a fun filled, jam packed creative development in the NT, the time is nigh to fill those who weren’t there in on the details and to give thanks those who helped make it happen!

The most outstanding features of the creative development were the moments the Big hART team spent with the Namatjira family, the Battarbee family and the incredible collaboration of artists. Each of the 39 company members brought their own expertise, which exploded in a celebration of art and Albert Namatjira at the culmination of the 3 weeks. To the designers, producers, performers, visual artists, doco crew, family, potters, choir members, BBQ chefs, program distributors, translators, cultural advisors, volunteers, funders, sponsors and audience members… each and every contribution, great or small, was most highly valued.

The Creative Development was filled with many discoveries that will filter through to the premiere of the performance, co-produced with Company B Belvoir, in Sydney on September 29, where we are now in rehearsals!

Our workshops in Alice Springs began with visits from Namatjira family artists who taught us the art of watercolour painting. Over the three weeks the company built up their own small gallery of works that were displayed backstage and are now on the walls of the rehearsal room in Sydney! Derek Lynch, Kevin Namatjira, Elton Wirri, Gloria Pannka and Ivy Pareroultja also stunned us with their live artwork, chalk drawing at the celebration.

No doubt, the first of the highlights for this trip was our journey to Ntaria (Hermannsburg), the mission where Albert Namatjira was raised and lived. We had the pleasure of meeting with many people in Ntaria including Namatjira family members, the internationally renowned Hermannsburg Potters, and the Ntaria Ladies Choir who treated us to an intimate performance of their spine tingling harmonies. The Ntaria journey culminated in a creative exchange of scenes from the play and songs from the choir, all within the corrugated iron walls of the old mission bakehouse.

Some of this was repeated at the ‘Namatjira’ celebration at the Araluen Art Centre two weeks later, augmented by much, much more – a performance from the choir, a language lesson from Derek and the choir, a pottery demo from Irene Entata and Judith Inkamala, and short film giving insight into the stories of Albert Namatjira’s surviving grandchildren. We also had the great pleasure of performances by internationally acclaimed musicians Archie Roach, Dave Arden and Genevieve Lacey, not to mention portrait painter Robert Hannaford, and of course virtuosic performances by Trevor Jamieson and Derek Lynch, narrated by Scott Rankin…. A taster for the real deal! Lastly, we were graced with the presence of Namatjira’s family in the audience, notably Betty and Marcus Wheeler, Mostyn Kantiltja, the Wirri family, Ivy Pareroultja, Kevin Namatjira’s family, Gloria Pannka and family, and Joseph Rontji. We weer especially lucky also to have Gayle Quarmby with us, an advisor and representative for her father Rex Battarbee, Albert’s great friend and mentor.

The ‘Namatjira’ celebration was seen by over 800 people over two days. Many went through the gallery, bought local produce and some even watched from the foyer, on television screens so as not to miss out. The excitement and buzz has continued to Sydney!

Make sure you check out all the photos on Flickr, and stay tuned for some video footage coming online soon!

Also, check out jaimeswaites.com for behind the scenes updates at the Sydney rehearsals