A co-production between Belvoir, Ilbijerri Theatre Company and version 1.0, Beautiful One Day is a verbatim theatre piece looking at Palm Island in the aftermath of a 2004 death in custody (the subject of the book and film both titled The Tall Man). My first two weeks on the job were spent on Palm Island where we connected with the local mob and began creative development. The play premieres in November.
Another profound and enriching experience was the Festival of Pacific Arts in the Solomon Islands in July. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mob made up the Australian delegation and we joined our brothers and sisters from around the Pacific for two weeks of cultural celebration and festivities.
I participated in the National Indigenous Theatre Forum held in Cairns in August. Playwrights, theatre and dance practitioners, producers and presenters came together to map out the landscape of Indigenous theatre and dance and identify areas and steps we can take to strengthen our sector. The next step for me will be following through the commitments that I made, building on the progress and achievements that have come out of previous forums.
Louana Sainsbury is a descendant of the Burramatta clan, of the Dharug nation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies and Film Studies from the University of New South Wales as well as a Certificate III in Live Production, Theatre and Events. She has worked as an Assistant Stage Manager for Bangarra Dance Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company before joining Belvoir and Urban Theatre Projects in 2012 as Emerging Indigenous Producer.
RealTime issue #111 Oct-Nov 2012 pg. 23
© Louana Sainsbury; for permission to reproduce apply to [email protected]