Three artists – Jimi Bani, Dan Daw, Ghenoa Gela – discuss what it means to create work from memoir and autobiography, and where personal stories sit in relation to a wider cultural politic and identity.

These three artists tell their stories through their words and their bodies, telling their own stories and those of others. They speak for themselves and for a broader community. In this conversation, Jimi, Dan and Ghenoa discuss the ways in which they bring their own histories and those of others into their work, and how their particular approach to creating can draw on both diverse histories and specific narratives.

Registration required.

Speakers

Jimi Bani, a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, has had many leading roles across theatre and television. Recent theatrical plays include My Name is Jimi (Queensland Theatre Company), Title and Deed (Belvoir), The Shadow King (Malthouse Theatre) and Storm Boy (Sydney Theatre Company). He has also performed in the theatrical production of The Sapphires and went on to tour the show to both London and Korea. In television, Jimi played a leading role in the ABC television series The Straits and went on to play the title role in the telefeature Mabo. Most recently he has appeared in Black Comedy, Ready for This and Redfern Now.

Dan Daw has worked with Restless Dance Theatre (AUS), Australian Dance Theatre (AUS), Force Majeure (AUS), FRONTLINEdance (UK), Scottish Dance Theatre (UK), balletLORENT (UK), Candoco Dance Company (UK) and Skånes Dansteater (SWE). Throughout his performance career, Dan has worked with Kat Worth, Garry Stewart, Liv Lorent, Kate Champion, Janet Smith, Adam Benjamin, Wendy Houstoun, Sarah Michelson, Rachid Ouramdane, Nigel Charnock, Matthias Sperling, Marc Brew, Claire Cunningham, Javier de Frutos, Martin Forsberg/Jenny Nordberg and Carl Olof Berg. Blurring the divide between theatre and dance, Dan’s collaborations are a series of attempts. Exploring the notion of “success” and “failure” he plays, in different ways, with audience expectation in connection to his body’s deviating functionality.

Koedal (Crocodile) and Waumer (Frigate Bird) woman Ghenoa Gela is a strong Torres Strait Islander from Rockhampton, Central Queensland. Her background is in Torres Strait Islander dancing, and since receiving a Diploma in Careers in Dance, she has been a Sydney-based independent performing artist working across several mediums including dance, circus, television and stage. Her one-woman show, My Urrwai, premieres as part of the 2018 Sydney Festival at Belvoir St Theatre Downstairs.Her other choreographic credits include: Fragments of Malungoka – Women of the Sea, winner of the 2016 Keir Choreographic Award; for Force Majeure - Mura Buai – Everyone, Everyone (Choreographer/Co-Director with Artistic Director Danielle Micich) & Nothing to Lose (additional choreography with Kate Champion); short solo work, #GenuaGela as part of Performance Space’s Nula Nura Residency; Move it Mob Style (Choreographer and In-Studio Host);and Top 100 - So You Think You Can Dance Australia (2014).Performance & other credits include: ‘Dance Site’ Booraloola NT (Facilitator) and My Darling Patricia’s The Piper (Edinburgh Fringe 2015). She is currently a core member of the award winning show Hot Brown Honey. Ghenoa’s arts practice is inspired by her family stories and her passion to share her Torres Strait Islander culture.

Dr. Laura (Amara) Osweiler is a choreographer, performer, teacher, scholar and producer from the USA who now resides in Sydney. Her solo, company and collaborative works have been presented internationally and on videos. She holds a PhD in Dance History and Theory from UC Riverside and is the General Manager at Critical Path.

Critical Path is Australia’s leading centre for choreographic research and development – supporting artists to push the boundaries of contemporary practice and opening up a space for debate and critical appreciation of dance.