The Capitol acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. We respectfully acknowledge their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. We also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.

Lighting Off
Presented by the Wheeler Centre and Blak & Bright. Supported by RMIT Culture.

Writing Blak Legacies: A First Nations Literature Gala

When
Thu 6 July
Doors open:6.30pm
Event starts:7pm
Where
The Theatre

Celebrate the richness and cultural significance of First Nations writing with a special gala event marking the release of the University of Queensland Press’ First Nations Classics series.  

This year, the University of Queensland Press released the first instalment of its First Nations Classics series, recognising the brilliant and vital literary contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers across the decades.  

To mark the publication of this landmark series, RMIT Culture is proudly supporting the Wheeler Centre and Blak & Bright to present a vibrant evening of reflections, readings and performance featuring many of the series authors and contributors, hosted by acclaimed author Tony Birch. Hear from Evelyn Araluen, Larissa Behrendt, Ellen van Neerven, Alison Whittaker, Jeanine Leane, Archie Weller, Kev Carmody and Tara June Winch, alongside series editor Yasmin Smith and series designer Jenna Lee, with a special musical performance by Nardi Simpson. 

Together they will celebrate the 2023 NAIDOC theme ‘For Our Elders’, recognising the importance of intergenerational knowledge and storytelling and bringing renewed attention of timeless works of literature that are as important, engaging and relevant today as they were on first publication.  

Kev Carmody and Tara June Winch will appear via video. 

As part of the event, in foyer of the theatre we will install Yawa, a four player arcade game created in a collaboration between N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs AM, Jarra Karalinar Steel, Narayana Johnson, Troy Innocent, Duncan Corrigan. Yawa is a four-player cooperative game where players explore an abstract map of Country and collect words in the Boon Wurrung language.