Speaker Series: Art for Liberation
Join us for a 90 minute facilitated panel discussion featuring artists who use art and creativity as a tool for social change.
Art for Liberation
Creating meaningful art in any medium requires courage, creativity, and imagination — so does resisting oppression. Join Aïsha Trambas in conversation with Narrm-based artists, Dr Paola Balla, Ruth Nyaruot Ruach and Kal angam-Kal to explore the connections between art-making and organising for justice in this free 90-min online discussion.
Our panel includes:
- Dr Paola Balla (Wemba-Wemba and Gunditjmara) is an artist, curator, writer, teacher & researcher who focuses on Aboriginal women’s stories, resistance, voices & activism.
- Ruth Nyaruot Ruach, a South-Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, cultural curator, and community arts worker.
- Kal angam-Kal is a youth-led West Papuan Storytelling Project based in Narrm which first started in 2021, as a project to document Elder stories for the 60th anniversary of the first raising of West Papua’s symbol of independence, the Morning Star Flag on December 1st.
Guiding the conversation is Aïsha Trambas, an afro-greek poet, facilitator and arts worker.
What you’ll get out of it
- Explore the intersections between art and activism, and the role artists play in movement building, resistance and liberation work.
- Learn how art can be used as a strategic tool for community organising, education, and a powerful catalyst for positive change.
- Engage in conversations that inspire you to use your creativity to take action in your community.
- Opportunity to asks the artist panel questions about their experience
Details
When: Thursday 29 February 2024 – 6pm – 7.30pm AEDT
Where: Online on Zoom
Cost: Free
Frequently asked questions
Our panel includes:
- Dr Paola Balla (Wemba-Wemba and Gunditjmara) is an artist, curator, writer, teacher & researcher who focuses on Aboriginal women’s stories, resistance, voices & activism. Her art speaks back to racism & traumas in colony australia through predominantly photography & installation. She teaches Indigenous Education & Art at Moondani Balluk, Indigenous Academic Centre, Victoria University.
- Ruth Nyaruot Ruach, a South-Sudanese multidisciplinary artist, cultural curator, and community arts worker. Beyond being an artist, Ruth Nyaruot Ruach is a visionary catalyst for change. She co-founded a compterary community arts organisation: Next In Colour, where she serves as the Executive Director and Creative Producer. In addition, she leads the transformative Diasporic Dreaming project at Footscray Community Arts as the Young Creative Lead: managing the Future Reset Project.
- Kal angam-Kal is a youth-led West Papuan Storytelling Project based in Narrm. Kal angam-kal is a proverb in the indigenous language of the Amungme tribe of Timika, West Papua meaning “the word has been spoken out”. Kal angam-kal recently exhibited at Footscray Community Arts in a documentary exhibition that brought together Elders and Young people from the Narrm in a series of intergenerational interviews. Kal angam-kal first started in 2021, as a project to document Elder stories for the 60th anniversary of the first raising of West Papua’s symbol of independence, the Morning Star Flag on December 1st.
Guiding the conversation is Aïsha Trambas (she/her), an afro-greek poet, facilitator and arts worker. Aïsha is currently Creative Producer at Western Edge Youth Arts, and has worked across programming, production and performing with SIGNAL youth arts studio, the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, YIRRAMBOI, Footscray Community Arts, Next in Colour, and more. In 2022, Aisha’s poetry was published by Freemantle and Djed Press in Unlimited Futures, an anthology of Bla(c)k speculative fiction.
This panel discussion is for people (16-35 years old) who want to create real change in their community, country and world, and are looking for new ideas, tactics and connections on their journey.
This event is free to access. Participants will require access to a computer and the internet to be able to watch/listen to the conversation.
This webinar will be AUSLAN interpreted and live captioned. If you have any other accessibility needs or questions, please email: munira.yusuf@fya.org.au or book a time to chat here.
For more information get in contact with Munira at munira.yusuf@fya.org.au or book a time to chat here.