Have you ever wanted to pop into someone's house, out of sheer curiosity?
La Boite Theatre Company and Backbone are coming together to give you that opportunity, but not in a weird way. . . These home-owners are opening their doors willingly, in order to share their stories as part of a collaboration called 'Open Homes'.
Facilitated by Brisbane theatre-makers, each performance (30 minutes long) will deliver intimate views of heartbreak, humour, comedy, chaos, and domestic dramas and dreams taking place across the city.
Here, storytellers Amanda Hayman and Troy Casey pen an open letter about the concept, and what they'll be sharing as part of it.
“As Aboriginal people, we have always had to battle stereotypes. I reflect on a time when my niece came home from school and asked if I could help with her homework. 'Question 1. How do Aboriginal people contribute to today’s society?'. . . What does this question even mean? And how is a primary school student meant to respond to that? I read it many times over trying to comprehend the intention of the question and its purpose.
It’s a weird concept. . . Letting a group of complete strangers into your home and giving them a glimpse of what it’s like to be you. But you know what. . . Maybe it’s actually a unique opportunity for us to break down some preconceptions of what an Aboriginal home and lifestyle may look like. It might actually give people a better understanding of the diversity of our stories and how we, as a young urban couple, contribute to society.
Troy and I first met three years ago and fell in love. One year later, we quit our jobs and started a business together, Blaklash Projects, a creative agency that specialises in exhibitions and bespoke creative projects. Our business brings together my interest in visual arts and Troy’s passion for entrepreneurship and economic empowerment for our community. Through our work, we curate meaningful experiences to connect people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narratives, but it’s usually not us in the spotlight!
'Open Homes' will invite up to 15 people into our small inner-city apartment, for an intimate exchange as we share with our guests what we consider most important to us: Community, culture, and family. We connect through Indigenous terms of reference, have a cuppa together and a yarn about our upbringing, our values and life's journey thus far. We are also excited to show off our newest room, the nursery.
As expecting parents, we have recently been thinking about the world that our son will grow up in and the lessons we want to teach him. We want him to be proud of who he is, understand the history of this country and acknowledge how privileged he is. We want him to be confident, hard-working, kind, excited by new experiences, and open to meeting new people.
We realise that some of our visitors may not have had a chance to have a deep and meaningful conversation with an Aboriginal person, let alone be inside their home. Blaklash Projects showcases diverse stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the artistic and creative initiatives every day, but we have yet to take on a project this personal. Troy and I hope that by opening our doors, we give our visitors a unique insight into who we are and how we connect to our culture despite living in an urban setting.”
It’s a weird concept. . . Letting a group of complete strangers into your home and giving them a glimpse of what it’s like to be you. But you know what. . . Maybe it’s actually a unique opportunity for us to break down some preconceptions of what an Aboriginal home and lifestyle may look like. It might actually give people a better understanding of the diversity of our stories and how we, as a young urban couple, contribute to society.
Troy and I first met three years ago and fell in love. One year later, we quit our jobs and started a business together, Blaklash Projects, a creative agency that specialises in exhibitions and bespoke creative projects. Our business brings together my interest in visual arts and Troy’s passion for entrepreneurship and economic empowerment for our community. Through our work, we curate meaningful experiences to connect people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander narratives, but it’s usually not us in the spotlight!
'Open Homes' will invite up to 15 people into our small inner-city apartment, for an intimate exchange as we share with our guests what we consider most important to us: Community, culture, and family. We connect through Indigenous terms of reference, have a cuppa together and a yarn about our upbringing, our values and life's journey thus far. We are also excited to show off our newest room, the nursery.
As expecting parents, we have recently been thinking about the world that our son will grow up in and the lessons we want to teach him. We want him to be proud of who he is, understand the history of this country and acknowledge how privileged he is. We want him to be confident, hard-working, kind, excited by new experiences, and open to meeting new people.
We realise that some of our visitors may not have had a chance to have a deep and meaningful conversation with an Aboriginal person, let alone be inside their home. Blaklash Projects showcases diverse stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the artistic and creative initiatives every day, but we have yet to take on a project this personal. Troy and I hope that by opening our doors, we give our visitors a unique insight into who we are and how we connect to our culture despite living in an urban setting.”
