Saturday 28 October 2017, Bankstown Arts Centre

Download a pdf of the program
 

9:30 DOORS OPEN

THEATRE

Jennifer Newman

According to our national anthem we have boundless plains to share. Since 1788, Australia has experienced successive waves of immigration. From post-war Europeans to refugees from Africa, Liza-Mare Syron (chair) discusses how diverse voices become part of the national story with Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Hoa Pham, and Markus Zusak.

Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement presents a critical dialogue between writers from Indigenous backgrounds and writers from migrant backgrounds. With Maryam Azam, Louisa Badayal, Evelyn Corr, Winnie Dunn, Emma Hicks, Shirley Le, Oscar Managhan, and Stephen Pham.

These powerful new voices are reshaping the landscape and literature of Australia and influencing how we see ourselves as a community. Hear excerpts of their work and a discussion of what it is to find your voice. With Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Julie Koh, Peter Polites, Ellen van Neerven, and Benjamin Law (chair).

When we look at our stages, what do we see reflected back to us? Going beyond white Australia, playwrights from Aboriginal and diverse backgrounds are exploring important conflicts in our society and giving voice to broad experiences. With Sheila Pham (chair), Andrea James, Disapol Savetsila, and Aanisa Vylet. Curated by Sheila Pham and presented by NSW Writers Centre.

Commissioned by Urban Theatre Projects and Sweatshop. Join us for a work-in-progress reading of short-works by Maryam Azam, Bee Cruse, Winnie Dunn, Shivanjani Lal, Stephen Pham, and Anjali Roberts.

REHEARSAL 1

BYDS presents excellent writers, poets and digital artists working alongside children and young people from Bankstown to create startlingly imaginative and creative scripts, stories, poems and illustrations with the intention of presenting the work in a theatre and performance setting.

What fires you up? How do you write about difficult, uncomfortable issues? Sarah Ayoub, Helen Chebatte and Roanna Gonsalvesdiscuss these questions in relationship to their work and what people expect them to write about and deal with. Chaired by Irini Savvides. Age range: 12-16. Presented by WestWords.

Families nurture, and at times, restrict us, but either way they never leave us. So how do you write about families without offending your own? With Cathy Craigie, Mireille Juchau, Benjamin Law, Omar Sakr, and Jennifer Wong (chair).

Australia’s largest regular poetry event is renowned for providing a platform for people of all ages to engage with issues through the medium of spoken word poetry. BPS closes the festival with their October slam featuring national spoken word legend Luka Lesson. You will laugh, you will cry, and most importantly you will click your fingers and stomp your feet.

REHEARSAL 2

Get an insider’s look into the world of book publishing with leading publishers Chren Byng(HarperCollins), Ivor Indyk(Giramondo) and Robert Watkins(Hachette). Chaired by Jennifer Wong, host of Bookish on ABC iView. Presented by Bankstown Arts Centre and NSW Writers’ Centre.

A panel discussion featuring four CuriousWorks writers – each writing stories personal to their community, across film, theatre and the visual arts. With Miranda Aguilar, Guido Gonzalez, Daisy Montalvo, S. Shakthidharan(convenor), and Shawn Spina.

STUDIO 3

Be the hero of your own epic adventure! Join Wai Chim in exploring how to write about your own life. Find out how to how to pick a real experience to write about and fictionalise it for an exciting tale! You’re the hero – are you ready to write your own beginning? Age range: 10-12. Presented by WestWords. FREE but, bookings are essential admin@westwords.com.au

Where do ideas come from? And how do you take that seed of an idea and branch it out into a bigger, publishable story? Join journalist and author Sarah Ayoub for some quick tips and tricks on giving your ideas publishing potential. Presented by WestWords. Age range: 16-18. FREE, but bookings are essential. admin@westwords.com.au

As the book industry continues to rapidly change, the Australian Society of Authors has some tips to help emerging writers navigate their way around some of the many pitfalls on the way to building a writing career. Presented by Australian Society of Authors CEO, Juliet Rogers. Bookings are essential. events@nswwc.org.au

GALLERY

Trans-Scribe Bankstown Arts Centre presents a multimedia exhibition of poetry, scripts and other writings by students from Bankstown Public School and Bankstown Girls High School. Including transcribed interviews from the Stories of Strength project by local young people. A partnership between Bankstown Arts Centre, BYDS, and Sydney Story Factory.