Contemporary Culture

In a provocative keynote address at the Australian Theatre Forum Ilbijerri Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Rachael Maza, spoke powerfully and passionately about the differences between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange ... It's frightening to see that these condescending productions are accepted and even acclaimed in 2015. These public productions that perpetuate the myths of the invaders is one of the principle reasons that 'Education' urgently needs to provide a more comprehensive understanding of history. [node:read-more:link]

Indigenous health experts gathered at University of Wollongong this week to introduce an Indigenous trauma recovery program developed at Harvard University.

"Evidence shows us that the processes of colonisation, with the loss of land, identity, family, layers into compound trauma - and what we're finding as evidence is compound trauma rolls into physical and psychological problems," said Debra Hocking - [node:read-more:link]

Tony Albert, the winner of this year's National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award 2014 says the work was inspired by the police shooting of two Aboriginal teenagers as they went on a joy ride in Kings Cross in 2012.

First Nation teenage boys are often walking targets for bullies, racists and the police, so in Tony Albert's art piece "We Can Be Heroes" stands defiant, challenging the viewer to take aim at the red bullseyes painted on their chests. The painting consists of 20 portraits, each young man, including the artist and his assistant, emerge bare-chested from a black background in a variety of proud and bold poses. [node:read-more:link]