Arlene Texta Queen and Gary Foley

On MOnday afternoon we picked up a copy of Reel Time from the Festival centre. Twas a blast from the past, to read it,  I haven't seen it distributed anywhere for ages. Great photos, and they even referenced an exhibition taking place at the national photography centre, that was showcasing a dedicated arts photographer. 

They also reviewed the Black Theatre exhibition 181 Regent St at Carriageworks (which I would have loved to have seen) and the one man play by activist/historian/actor Gary Foley (Foley). I didn't realise, until re-reading his bio, he'd grown up in Nambucca Heads and witnessed the Freedom Rides... made me realise the fine looks of the Gumbainggir people, and have a sense of great urgency that I wanted to see him perform/talk history/share his story, because it's awesome and he's a performer. And that's what I'd rather see on stage/tv/in public. My op shop tour host referenced Arlene Texta Queen on Saturday, and in a nice piece of synchronicity, Arlene has blogged about being involved with FOLEY during the Melbourne Festival and him helping her open "WE Don't need another hero" and reciprocating with a poster of Gary Foley as part of a fundraiser. (Posters look awesome). She also has some very astute things to say about being a person of colour here, putting it as: "Yet white artists, musicians, performers, fashionistas, etc seem to feel nothing less than entirely entitled to pillage the forms and aesthetics of ‘other’ cultures as they please and to then be celebrated and financially rewarded for their ‘edginess’" Yes, I think that's the disquiet I feel, to have the capital to purchase culture that I can't experience through real immersion (ie living the life).

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