Performing arts
Drama principles and protocols
Advising non-Indigenous
organisations on consultation
protocols
We were asked by a non-Indigenous festival
organiser about how to conduct consultation
for a performance in a remote area. We told
them the names of the families who were
responsible for that area. They consulted
with a few families, but stopped when they
had a majority in agreement. We advised
them that they needed to talk to all the
families, not just a majority.30
Time frames for consultation and consent
Effective consultation is rarely achieved in a
single meeting. The quality of the process of
consultation will be crucial to the development
of a respectful, authentic work.
Consultation should be undertaken within the
time frames of the Indigenous community or
individual. This may require that funding bodies
or other groups working on the project be
alerted to the importance of the process and
time frames.
Non-Indigenous funding bodies need to realise
that the process is the most important thing.
Kooemba Jdarra’s Nadine McDonald
comments: ‘Funding bodies say: “Product!
Product! Product! It’s Indigenous Australian
theatre!” Yes, well it is, but the process has to
be done the right way’.31
Consultation on all stages of production
Like many artforms, drama will often be produced
in many different circumstances. A play may be
performed within a particular local environment,
or it may be invited to tour around the world.
It is important to consider these issues during
consultation, or return for further consultation.
In the event of a tour, it is important to be able
to provide information on the context in which
the work will be performed. For example, what
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is the nature of the festival? Who else will be
performing? Is it a suitable setting for the play?
Rachel Swain of Marrugeku Company says,
‘We always think very carefully about the context
the work is later toured in’.32 Dramatic works
may also be produced in a number of media.
It may be performed live, or adapted for film,
television, radio and may be available on the
internet. It is important to include discussion of
different locations and media in consultations.
Complexity of the consultation process
Consultation can be very straightforward, but
frequently it is more complex. It is not enough
to find just one person who will agree to the
project or a particular interpretation of a work.
It will generally be necessary to discuss the
project widely with language group or family
members, and to get advice from several
people to establish the custodian of material.
The consultation process is ongoing over a
period of time. It is rarely ‘one-off’ consent
and may be a continuing process of working
with the traditional owners as the production
develops. It may take two years to develop
a work because people have to meet their
cultural obligations. There may be a death
in the family and people have to attend.
For example, when Dallas Winmar was writing
Aliwa, Aunty Dot Collard got sick, and the
process had to wait until she got better.
When they were in Adelaide and Jack Davis
passed away, they had to wait again.33
Rachael Swain describes the nature
of consultation.
It’s a lot about time, and some of the old men
we’re working with, like Thompson (Yulidjirri),
last time we worked together he said, ‘Well,
what’s really important is that we work really
slowly. If we do the wrong thing some of us
might get sick. We have to work so slowly that
we can find out if that happens while we’re
Performing arts
Drama principles and protocols
working, and then we know we’ve gone the
wrong way and [can] start going a different
way. We have to work so slowly that we keep
in touch with each other as we go...’ 34
Paul MacPhail of Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre
talks about developing productions with
community input.
Yirra Yaakin ensures that all dramatic works
are performed in the community first. For
example, One Day in 67 by Michelle Torres
is based on events in Broome. Consultation
was conducted with Michelle and the
community. The work was performed in
Broome four months before its Festival of
Perth season.
The play Solid, which is about Aboriginal
people from the Kimberley and the southwest of Western Australia, was first performed
in the Kimberley, then toured the south-west
before its Festival of Perth season. We leave
about four months between performances
in the community the work is from, and the
performances in Perth or other locations,
so we can work with the input we get from
the community.35
Consultation issues for
contemporary creators
Contemporary Indigenous actors, dancers,
directors, choreographers and those who
collaborate with them are creators of
Indigenous culture. Creation of culture has
many aspects. One role of creators is to value
ongoing cultural obligations and to keep
culture active and vibrant through practice.
Another widely accepted role of creators is to
observe and comment on society’s ways and
directions. Comment might include depicting
sensitive issues, practices or trends in the
community. Indigenous director Wesley Enoch
regards this as an important role:
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One of the roles of theatre is to confront
and question the status quo, otherwise we
risk confining the role of theatre to
‘celebration’ only.36
Another role of creators is to interpret works in
the contemporary context. Existing works are
increasingly developed and reinterpreted in the
contemporary context, according to the style
of particular artists. Issues such as whether
a work is to be reinterpreted or reproduced
close to its original form have legal, artistic and
cultural implications. Copyright owners of a
work should be consulted for permission to
perform or adapt a work. Artistic and cultural
issues need to be determined in consultation
with the people associated with the work.
Indigenous creators in the performing arts
work hard to consider their responsibilities to
individuals and their communities and cultures.
It is important to consider how a work might be
received by the particular community depicted
in the work, and also by the wider community.
The impact on any identifiable individuals,
communities and Indigenous people in general
is an essential consideration for responsible
performing arts creators.
No means no
And finally, there is always the possibility that
during consultation people will decide not to
engage or discussions break down, or people
just do not want to participate for any number
of reasons.
It was summed up to me by someone who
said, “If someone says no, they mean no”.37
4. Interpretation, integrity
and authenticity
Interpretation
Development of a dramatic work
During collaborative projects it is important
to recognise, remunerate and acknowledge
Indigenous participants who contribute to the
cultural authenticity, interpretation and integrity
of a work.