A REFLECTION ON KOORI GRAS
As we move into the 2021 Mardi Gras season Moogahlin Performing Arts won’t be involved in producing a blak qweer program. So, this year we would like to take the time to reflect on the past 4 years of Koori Gras. Our goal was to have creative leadership in celebrating our qweer blak artists and performers and to celebrate our qweer blak communities. In saying this Moogahlin achieved this goal and as the following story reveals, we were able to offer remuneration to over 100 blak qweer performers and artists over the four-year period. Our company vision is Transformation through Cultural Arts and at all times we endeavoured to provide a brave space and platform for our stories to be told.
OUR STORY
The idea for Koori Gras happened by way of an opportunity when independent producer Harley Stumm from Intimate Spectacle approached Moogahlin seeking our interest in curating an event as part of a City of Sydney funded festival called Near and Now at 107 Projects. This event was to take place from February-March 2017. Moogahlin had the option of putting on an event on 24th and 25th February, right in the middle of the Mardi Gras season. I suggested to the Moogahlin company leadership team that we consider putting on an event that would serve local and interstate LGBTQI+ First Peoples. I invited Tim Bishop to a meeting to discuss the idea of creating an exhibition from his online archival project on First Peoples participation in Mardi Gras Parades. The timeline history is a community site and owned space providing a platform for shared stories and history for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, sistergirl, brotherboy, inter-sex and queer community from Nations wide, their partners and their families.
Later Mish Sparks from Mod studio joined the curatorial team. Mish is a Koori woman who has a long association with ACON and had facilitated a number of Mardi Gras First Nations float entries. At the first meeting with Tim and Mish on 10 September 2016 it was decided that the event would include a program of events including the exhibition highlighting key images and artefacts from the Blak Mardi Gras history site, plus a club/cabaret night Black Nulla, and a forum/yarn up Black Point. We named the event Koori Gras.
Held at 107 Projects in Redfern and produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts in association with 107 Projects, Intimate Spectacle, Studio Mod and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the City of Sydney, and ACON, the inaugural Koori Gras was the first of its kind. Produced on a small budget that paid the curators, performers and production costs with Phil Downing on lights and DJ Black President on music, the event was primarily created with the support of volunteers: Michela Ledwidge (Mod studio), Lawrence Shearer, Mary Munro, Annie Winter, and Michael Agzarian. Koori Gras was the first ever “official” Mardi Gras First Peoples event. A twenty-minute video composition of still images curated by Tim Bishop of First Peoples SGLMG parade entries from the early 1988 – 2016 was produced by Studio Mod. Our first Black Nulla Cabaret was hosted by Miss Ellaneous with performances by local blak drag artists Lasey Dunaman, Solid Gold, Nova Gina, Destiny Haz Arrived, and Nana Miss Koori. Over 125 people attended the event and Moogahlin employed up to 15 qweer blak artists.
In 2018 Koori Gras was held at Carriageworks in Redfern. Produced by Moogahlin, with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Carriageworks, the NSW Health TATU (Talking About Tobacco Use) program, and Performance Space. Liza-Mare Syron as Creative Producer engaged local Gadigal Elder Graham Simms as Community Engagement Officer, alongside Amber Silk as Production Manager, Frankie Clarke on lights, DJ Black President on sound and music, and Mooghalin’s resident photographer Jamie James. This partnership model saw equal financial investment from the three main supporters that contributed to a range of cultural arts events including creative development workshops with international two-spirit performance maker Cherish Violet Blood (Blackfoot) Turtle Island (supported by Qantas) with 4 participants (Bee Cruse, Katie Leslie, Bana Hankin, and Simone Saunders).
There was a Black Point community dinner and discussion on First Peoples LGBQTI+ issues in regional and remote areas of NSW and beyond, a blak speakers panel on making blak queer performance facilitated by Dr Sandy O’Sullivan with Cherish Violet Blood, Brian Fuata, and Liza-Mare Syron, and the Blak Nulla cabaret with Australia’s leading local and national drag artists where the creative development participants also performed - including the return of Chel Torres and the debut of Bee Dazzled Shanks and Brand Nu Boi!
Nearly 200 people attended the Black Nulla event, and in 2018 Moogahlin employed over 23 qweer blak artists.
The 2019 Koori Gras program was again held at Carriageworks and produced by Moogahlin in partnership with Carriageworks and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The Co-curators were Liza-Mare Syron, Jinny Jane Smith, and Graham Simms, with Amber Silk as Production Manager and resident photographer Jamie James. The cultural arts events included creative development workshops for 5 emerging First Peoples qweer artists to explore, play, and refine their practice with guest facilitators from Brief Factory, Miss Ellaneous, and Nana Miss Koori. The workshops covered such topics as movement, styling, branding, and a reflection on what constitutes qweer community leadership.
There was a community dinner to discuss issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBQIT+ communities, a blak speaker’s panel on blak drag performance hosted by Daniel Browning, and the Blak Nulla cabaret. For this event Koori Gras hosted drag queens from across the country including the 2019 Miss First Nations Miss Ellaneous (MC), Nana Miss Koori (MC), Nova Gina, Nova Gina, MadB, and Felicia Foxx, as well as the return of Bee Dazzled Shanks, Brand Nu Boi, and Chel Torres, and the debut of new artists Fun Shine Bear, Koori Ann Kennell, and UFO: Unidentified Fabulous Object!
Just over 180 people attended the cabaret with tickets profits donated the youth suicide charity Bayland's Gift. In 2019 Koori Gras employed 20 blak qweer artists. Moogahlin also partnered with Performance Space to offer an emerging artist a Stephen Cummins scholarship to participate in their queer new work program.
In 2020 Koori Gras moved to the Seymour Centre still retaining our equal partnerships with Carriageworks, SGLMG, and Performance Space. The creative producer was Liza-Mare Syron and Sonny Dallas Law was the Assistant Producer. Graham Simms and Ben Graetz were employed to curate the Blak Nulla Cabaret and company photographer Jamie James once again documented the event. Liv Anstis joined our team as the event Production Manager. The 2020 Koori Gras program included: Queer Blak Writing Development workshops with public readings led by award winning Pacifica playwright Victor Rodgers. The focus of the writing workshops were on exploring the 2020 SGLMG theme WHAT MATTERS and there were seven (7) participants from all over the country supported by Moogahlin’s Yellamundie program, and these include Sonny Dallas Law, Bee Cruse, Jayla Shae, Aidan Rowlingson, Shona Cloak, and Bana Hankin, with self-funded guest Daley King (Maori).
The Yellamundie Queer Blak writing presentations were held at the Seymour Centre Sound Lounge Seymour Centre. We also held a Diva for a Day event providing a brave space for community members to explore their hidden Drag King or Queen. There were 3 participants working with artist mentors Ben Graetz, Jojo Zaho, Graham Simms, and and Sani Townson. Participants underwent a make-up workshop, choreography lessons, and a variety of glamorous outfits and accessories were made available. The day ended with a runway presentation of Divas.
Our signature event Blak Nulla Cabaret rounded out the week, curated by Graham Simms and Ben Graetz with qweer performances by leading local and national guests Nana Miss Koori (MC), Miss Ellaneous (MC), Bee Dazzled Shanks the Prince of Redfern, Jojo Zaho, Destiny HazArrived, Chel Torres, MaDB, Rose Quartz, Anna Mal Tuckherbox, Josie Baker, and Shaniqua Tiwi Sista. Held at the Seymour Centre’s Sound Lounge, there were close to 100 audience in attendance. For the 2020 Koori Gras, Moogahlin employed over 25 qweer blak artists.
Koori Gras has been a great ride and an exciting way to come together to platform and celebrate our qweer blak talent and communities. We were able to offer international cultural arts exchange opportunities with our Pacific and First Nations communities as well as a platform for our local artists and performers. If we have left anyone out please respond and have your name counted, and maybe a few words about your experience.
Moogahlin would like to wish all a safe and naughty 2021 Mardi Gras festival RISE!
