In Week 3 of this term, the Year 9 Drama students were fortunate to have Dr Dee Basaraba, Principal Project Officer of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Team come and discuss the ways in which Indigenous perspectives are communicated to audiences through playscripts, such as Wesley Enoch’s “7 Stages of Grieving”. Students were immersed in conversation about Aboriginal history as they analysed excerpts from the play with Dr Dee and Michaela and also learnt about symbolic meaning using props, sound effects and language.

Students then viewed the live performance of “7 Stages of Grieving” directed by Jason Klarwein from Grin and Tonic Theatre Troupe starring the talented actor, Chenoa Deemal. This performance used Chenoa’s roots to inform the visual language of the piece, with design elements taking a cue from the artistic styles of her cultural heritage.

A fantastic opportunity for our students, this performance enabled the students involved to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of Aboriginal history within Australia and engage with the visual elements of storytelling.