Campbelltown Arts Centre Commissions Indigenous Theatre Work ONE BILLION BEATS

Campbelltown Arts Centre has commissioned a significant new contemporary Indigenous theatre work, One Billion Beats examining the historical representation of Aboriginal people in Australian cinema, presented over four nights on 26 and 27 February and 4 and 5 March 2016.

The work, co-written and performed by Romaine Moreton - Goenpul Jagara/ Bundjulung poet and filmmaker - draws together Australian cinematic history through a presentation of poetry and an original musical score. The title One Billion Beats refers to the heartbeats of one billion Indigenous people who lived in Australia before invasion, weaving their stories through the landscape.

Using spoken word, music song, contemporary theatre techniques and audio visual imagery, One Billion Beats explores the historical representation of Aboriginal people in Australian film, including autobiographical reflection by Romaine on her personal experiences of being both hostage to and liberated from the constraints of Western paradigms in relation to Indigenous identity. One Billion Beats is a profoundly political and resonant work that is at once a performance and a story of insight, horror, relevance and beauty. It is an example of intellectual courage that reveals an Indigenous perspective on cultural representation in film and beyond.

This is the third stage of development for One Billion Beats, a project commissioned by Campbelltown Arts Centre in 2010 culminating in the presentation in 2016. Romaine Moreton has been developing this multi-disciplinary music theatre-work working with her collaborators Lou Bennett, Alana Valentine, Sean Bacon and associate producer Vicki Gordon.

Artists:
Written and Directed by Romaine Moreton & Alana Valentine
Music and Sound Design: Lou Bennett
Video Design: Sean Bacon
Set Design: Romaine Moreton & Sean Bacon
Lighting Design: Hugh Hamilton
Research: Romaine Moreton
Associate Producer: Vicki Gordon

Performance Dates:
Friday 26 February, 7pm
Saturday 27 February, 7pm
Friday 4 March, 7pm
Saturday 5 March, 7pm

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

DR ROMAINE MORETON: Dr Romaine Moreton is Goenpul Jagara of Stradbroke Island and Brisbane area, and Bundjulung of northern New South Wales. She was awarded a PhD from the University of Western Sydney in 2007. Her thesis, "The Right to Dream" proposes an Indigenous philosophy of story-telling and embodied knowledge, and she was recently appointed to the position of Research Fellow/Filmmaker in Residence in the School of Media, Film and Journalism at Monash University where she is investigating the historical and international dimensions of Australian Indigenous filmmaking. Romaine is an internationally recognized writer of poetry, prose and film, and as a performer has toured nationally with artists such as Sweet Honey in the Rock (2002) with Michael Franti at Yeperenye Federation Festival (2001) and alongside musicians such as Yothu Yindi and Jimmy Little. She has published over 100 poems, prose and short stories and three anthologies of her poetry, Poems from a Homeland (2012), Post Me to the Prime Minister (2004) and The Callused Stick of Wanting (1996). Her films Redreaming the Dark and Cherish were both selected for the fringe program at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. A third film, A Walk With Words (2002), won the award for Best International Short Film at the World of Women Film Festival. She also wrote and directed the award winning The Farm (2009), screened on ABC-TV in the "New Blak" series and The Oysterman (2013), which appeared at Melbourne International Film Festival.

DR LOU BENNETT: Dr Lou Bennett is Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung and a former member of the internationally acclaimed trio Tiddas. Bennett is a consummate performer, playing audiences worldwide. Bennett is a prolific songwriter/composer and during her ten years with Tiddas (1990-2000) penned some of the group's signature songs. Bennett's work stretches over a vast area within the Arts industry throughout the past twenty-seven years including her various roles as Performer, Songwriter, Musical and Artistic Director, Composer, Actor, Soundscape and Music Designer and Educator. In 2005 Bennett was one of the co-founders of the Black Arm Band contributing to all productions produced by the company. Bennett's initial roles were vocalist/guitarist and vocal arranger/supervisor and then later in 2010 Bennett took the positions of co-CEO/Artistic Director. Bennett was an instrumental force in the company's transformative journey from being a one-off 'special project' into becoming an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governed, not for profit major performing arts company. In Bennett's time at the company (2005-2014) she was involved in the touring of five major productions both regionally and internationally. Bennett completed her PhD by project at RMIT Melbourne in October 2015. Bennett's dissertation discusses the importance and relevance of Aboriginal language retrieval, reclamation and regeneration through the medium of the Arts to community health and well-being and explores the importance of Indigenous epistemology, methodology and pedagogy in artistic and academic contexts.

ALANA VALENTINE: Alana Valentine's Head Full of Love completed a National Tour in 2015. Other work includes the acclaimed Parramatta Girls, Run Rabbit Run and Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah. She has previously worked with producer Vicki Gordon as writer and director with Barefoot Divas. In 2014 Alana won the BBC International Radio Competition for The Ravens and an AWGIE Award for Community/Youth Theatre for Comin' Home Soon, in 2013 she won three AWGIE Awards including the Major Award and the Inaugural David Williamson Award for Excellence in Writing for the Australian Theatre for Grounded. In 2012 she won the S.T.A.G.E International Award for plays about science for Ear to the Edge of Time. In 2016 Griffin Theatre Company will present Ladies Day, the Street Theatre will present Cold Light, the Tasmanian Theatre Company will present Tree Widows which Alana will also direct, and Merrigong Theatre Company, Canberra Theatre Centre and the Seymour Centre will present Letters to Lindy. Alana has collaborated with many of Australia's most highly regarded Indigenous artists including Stephen Page and the company of Bangarra dancers, Wesley Enoch, Ursula Yovich, Andrea James, Emma Donovan, Roxanne MacDonald, Paula Delaney Nazarski, Leah Purcell, Tessa Rose, Karla Hart, Wayne Blair, Deborah Mailman, Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor and Nadeena Dixon. Alana's plays are published by Currency Press.

SEAN BACON: Sean Bacon studied video & visual arts, graduating with Honours in 1998. He worked with the French dance company Experience Harmaat (2000-2), and their collaboration Nobody Nevermind opened the performance section of the prestigious Venice Bienniale (2001). In 2005 he was awarded a 3-month residency at the Australia Council's Green Street Studios in New York. Sean has been a Company Artist for version 1.0 since 2005. In 2010 Sean worked as the video artist on the Sydney Theatre Award nominated seven kilometres north-east, which toured to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2011. Sean worked as the video designer for Company B's production of 'Measure for Measure', under the direction of Benedict Andrews, and for which he won a Sydney Theatre Award for Stage Design in 2011. With Andrews he also worked as the video designer for the English National Opera/Young Vic's production "Return of Ulysses' in London 2011. 2012 Sean worked on Sydney Theatre Company production Pygmalion and Sydney Festival 2012, Urban Theatre Projects and Belvoir Company B production of Buried City. 2013 video design for The Maids directed Benedict Andrews with Sydney Theatre Company, Version 1.0 Major Minor Party, Canberra and The Vehicle Failed To Stop, Carriageworks Sydney. 2014 New York, Lincoln Theatre Festival, The Maids directed Benedict Andrews with Sydney Theatre Company, 2014 The Glass Menagerie Belvoir Emon Flak, 2015 Helpmann Award. 2015 This House is Mine, Milkcrate Theatre, 2015 Reflections of Gallipoli, Helpmann award, Australian Chamber Orchestra, 2015 The Goldner Quartet, Musica Viva. 2015 Branch Nebula, ARTWORK, Carriageworks.

HUGH HAMILTON: Hugh Hamilton has designed, Ladies Day (Griffin), I am My Own Wife (Oriel/ Old Fitz), Miracle City (Luckiest Productions), Eora Crossing, On the Case (Legs On the Wall), HMS Pinafore (Bel Rosa Opera Company)Freefall (Sydney Dance Company, Del Del (Sydney Theatre Company), Madama Butterfly (Opera Hunter) and Ursula (Brink Productions). He has also been Associate Lighting Designer on Wicked (Korean Language), The King and I, The Addams Family Musical, Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, Rock of Ages and Guys and Dolls. Also extensively in Asia as the Assistant Lighting Designer and Programmer on Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia 10th Anniversary tour, Phantom of the Opera and CATS. He has also workedinternationally as well Production Electrician on Wicked, Lighting Programmer on LES MISERABLES, and the original Lighting Programmer on Priscilla: Queen of the Desert the Musical and Love Never Dies.

VICKI GORDON: NZ born Vicki Gordon (Ngati Kahungunu) works as a Creative Producer, Music Theatre Producer, Artist Manager and Marketing and Festival Director. She produced Australia's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Contemporary Music Festival With Open Eyes and first All Girl Rock Festival Fast Forward. She has contributed to the success of many Indigenous artists, including as mentor and manager to Ursula Yovich & Emma Donovan, producing Donovan's video tribute, Ngarraanga, to the Stolen Generations and Brenda Webb's ARIA nominated debut pop single Little Black Girl. In 2012 as Creative Producer for Vicki Gordon Music Productions she curated and produced the critically acclaimed Barefoot Divas successfully touring the company to North America, Canada and Hawaii in 2014 and selling out the Hong Kong Concert Hall in March 2015. Vicki is also founding President for the not for profit charity Cicada International Inc and has worked with some of Australia's most successful Indigenous singer/songwriters including Archie Roach, Jimmy Little, Christine Anu, Dan Sultan, Casey Donovan, Radical Son & others. Vicki's creative vision is strongly connected to her politics and her commitment to Human Rights. Her work encompasses community outreach and prioritizes engagement with first nation's people as well as disadvantaged and marginalized women and youth. She has received a Human Rights Commendation Award, Community Cultural Fellowship, Women in the Arts Fellowship, PPCA Award and numerous ARIA Awards in recognition of her contribution to industry. She has a new Musical, new Barefoot Divas show and new Music Festival in development for 2016/17.