Community members will have the chance to be immersed in Indigenous culture at the world premiere of Footprints on Country at the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre.
Footprints on Country is a short documentary that explores what it means to “walk on country”, with three emerging Indigenous artists visiting the Bundaberg Region to participate in a cultural exchange.
Creative Regions partnered with the Taribelang Cultural Aboriginal Corporation and Associate Media to film the experience.
Creative Regions’ Di Wills said the project acknowledged storytelling and the cultural history of local First Nations people.
“We invited three young indigenous people to the region who visited five different sites, met elders, shared Dreamtime stories and participated in a cultural exchange within a Yarning Circle,” Di said.
“With funding from the Indigenous Languages and the Arts, this project’s focus has always been that the stories shared are led and curated by the Indigenous participants and that we celebrate language and culture of our region.
“Our visitors Hannah Clearey, Jem Cassar-Daley and Corben Kemp had such an immersive experience they were driven to reconnect with their own culture and country.”
The final product is intended for television broadcast in 2022.
Corben said his week-long visit gave him the privilege of walking and experiencing Taribelang Bunda country.
“This experience was such an eye opener to me from the Dreamtime stories to the hardships of the elders and aboriginal people being raised in their own land where they could not live freely or be involved with their own families,” he said.
“From this week I will start my cultural journey and reconnect with my mob so I can share stories and the truth about my own people.”
Jem said her experience in the Bundaberg Region was a unique and fulfilling experience made possible by the team at Creative Regions.
“I was able to learn about Taribelang Bunda culture and ways of living from Byron (Broome), whilst learning about my own culture in the process,” she said.
“I have come home feeling connected, inspired and eager to learn more about my family. I particularly enjoyed hearing Dreamtime stories from the local elders and feel honoured to be welcomed into their community.”
The Footprints on Country project is managed by Creative Regions, supported through the Indigenous Languages and Arts program and captured by filmmaker David Quarrell of Associate Media.
The free event premiere will be at the Moncrieff Entertainment Centre on 8 December, click here for more information.
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