Memory River

Stage 5

Term 3 (term-long)

Memory River is a project which will combine Indigenous history, stories and art with the voices of young people from Western Sydney. The project will take place at The Parramatta Female Factory Institutions Precinct, a location with a long and complex history; at various times it has been an orphanage, prison, asylum and school. Drawing on the area’s Indigenous history, the recent history, and working collaboratively with Indigenous knowledge holders and female contemporary Indigenous artists (Maddison Gibbs is the participating artist in 2023), students will write stories and poems that meaningfully explore First Nations history, post-colonial history, their personal memories, and their hopes for the future.

At the conclusion of the project a selection of audio/video recordings of student writing, the artworks created by students and original contemporary artworks by the participating artist will be exhibited at the Female Factory for visitors to see and hear.

Delivery and Structure

Memory River will be delivered across Terms 2, 3 and 4 (April to November), and will be divided into three modules – Voices of the River, A Place to Remember and Writing a Future.

Term Two Workshops

Module 1: Voices of the River

In these workshops Indigenous Elders and historians from the Museums of History will share history of the area and stories of the Parramatta River. Students will be supported to write creative pieces exploring their response to the shared knowledge and history of the Female Factory and surrounding area. In addition, the participating artist will work alongside students to begin creating a visual work exploring similar ideas.

Outcomes

  • Bound anthologies of student work
  • Student artworks (print pieces and text art pieces created at the Female Factory)

Workshop Details

2 workshops: a full day at the Female Factory followed by a 2 hour workshop at the school.

  • Day One – at Female Factory
    Students will complete a full day workshop at the Female Factory during which they meet Indigenous Elders, historians from Museums of History and Maddison Gibbs (participating artist). As part of this workshop students will begin individual written pieces and complete at least one visual artwork based on the themes of the workshop.
  • Day Two – at school
    During this workshop students will complete, refine and edit the individual written pieces they began in workshop one.
    Students: High School, stage 5

Term Three Workshops

Module 2: A Place to Remember

During these workshops students will focus on writing prose and poetry pieces to honour important people, places and events from their own lives.

Outcomes

  • Bound anthologies of student work and audio/video recordings of selected student works
  • Audio recordings of history and stories shared by Indigenous Elders
  • Commissioned artwork from participating artist – Maddison Gibbs

Workshop Details
2 workshops: a full day at the Female Factory followed by a 2 hour workshop at the school.

  • Day One – at Female Factory
    Students will complete a full day workshop at the Female Factory investigating the flora and layout of the Female Factory area, these elements will be used as the starting point for pieces of student writing which explore personal histories. As part of this visit students will also contribute to the development of audio and video pieces that will be shared as part of the project launch. This workshop will also include the participating artist Maddison Gibbs, who will begin an artwork exploring the same ideas students are exploring.
  • Day Two – at school
    During this workshop students will complete, refine and edit the individual written pieces they began in workshop one.
    Students: High School, stage 5

Term Four – The Launch!

Schools participating in the project will be invited to the Memory River launch. The launch will include:

  • 1 interactive exhibition which includes a selection of student writing in audio and video form
  • an exhibition of student artworks created as part of the project
  • publications of student work
  • original artworks created by collaborating artist Maddison Gibbs

After the launch, the exhibition is open to members of the public, and is free. Everyone is welcome to come see the artworks and listen to the stories.  Exhibition open 10am-2pm, November 16-20th at the Parramatta Female Factory , Greenup Drive, North Parramatta.

NESA Outcomes
Stage Five

EN5-5C thinks imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information and increasingly complex ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts in a range of contexts

EN5-7D understands and evaluates the diverse ways texts can represent personal and public worlds

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