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<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">It’s been
an amazing year for the Ngapartji Ngapartji project….We’ve set up an
office in
an old demountable at IAD (Institute for Aboriginal Development) which
has
become a busy hub for workshops, bush trips and film making. We made
several
trips to Pukatja (Ernabella), S.A and launched the website for </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Melbourne</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">, </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Perth</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> and </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Sydney</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> audiences and now have
200 people
engaged in our online language and culture site. In June we presented a
developmental showing of the stage production to </span><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Alice Springs</span></st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> audiences at the Araluen
Centre,
over 700 people attended. Feedback from the community was very positive
and
helped us further develop the work for presentation in </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Melbourne</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> later in the year. <o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">The profile
of Ngapartji Ngapartji has continued to grow through substantial
national media
coverage about the project, language preservation and the production; <a
href="http://www.ngapartji.org/news.html">http://www.ngapartji.org/news.html</a>.
We presented the project at many conferences including Straight Out of
Brisbane
Festival, Regional Arts Australia Conference, Mackay and International
Colloquium on Prevention of Crime, </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Canberra</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">. <o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">With only a
week's break between the Ngapartji Ngapartji world premiere at
Melbourne International
Arts Festival in October and the presentation of the smaller language
show for
Message Sticks at the Sydney Opera House, the last few months for the
Ngapartji
Ngapartji team have been demanding and rewarding for the whole team as
new
audiences hear this story and engage with the language learning and the
broader
project for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Each of the
six nights of our season in Melbourne audiences were moved to a
standing
ovation, which was wonderful for the ensemble cast, some of whom were
performing on a stage of this scale for the first time. The young
people also
performed at the Festival ‘<i>Kids Club’</i> where the young fellas
from
Pukatja, Mervyn and Nathaniel, played some of their original music,
first time
performer from Alice, Sadie, taught a traditional crow dance and Zoe
and the <i>kungkas</i>
(young women) helped the kids make crows out of clay.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">One of many
reviews of the show; <a href="http://www.aussietheatre.net/revnga.htm">http://www.aussietheatre.net/revnga.htm</a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">And some
site participants and audience responses: <a
href="http://www.ngapartji.org/performance.html">http://www.ngapartji.org/performance.html</a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Another
highlight of the tour was a day trip to Healesville to be welcomed to </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Melbourne</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> by Wurundjeri elders.
The
Aboriginal Children’s Choir performed a number of songs in different
Aboriginal
languages including a song in Wurundjeri. The cast of Ngapartji
Ngapartji then
exchanged some of the songs from the show and were impressed at how
quickly the
kids picked up the new words – such an inspiring exchange. Members of
the cast
also made time to catch up with learning groups who had formed to work
through
the Ngapartji Ngapartji language site together. The ladies were so
impressed at
the level these students had reached by themselves and the reality at
what is
happening through this project was evident – a new meeting place is
being
proposed, where non-Indigenous Australians are being invited to listen,
to
learn, to be students and for the A<u>n</u>angu to be the teachers and
experts.
<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">On this
level </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Sydney</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> was equally moving for
all of us. Audience members
returning night after night to get a taste of the project,
enthusiastically
repeating the language they learned throughout the show. This show was
a chance
to introduce new audiences to the website, showing some of the films
being made
in Alice and Pukatja, as well as meeting the rest of the Ngapartji
Ngapartji
offstage crew. One of the features of this version of the show is Elton
Wirri's
artwork, mounted as a torn-up painting which is slowly revealed by the
young
people piecing it together throughout the show and a landscape drawn by
Elton
with chalk in real time during the performance echoing the western
desert style
of his grandfather. Sixteen-year-old Elton, who has been involved in
Ngapartji
Ngapartji since its beginning, received much well deserved attention
for his
talents and we hope an exhibition of his work will accompany the return
</span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Sydney</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> season in 2007.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><a
href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/the-skill-of-namatjiras-grandson/2006/10/31/1162278141730.html">http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/the-skill-of-namatjiras-grandson/2006/10/31/1162278141730.html</a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">It's been a
hectic schedule for everyone and though 'the show's over' until the
Perth
season in February, it's time to tend to funding submissions and
planning to
keep the project happening on the ground in Alice Springs, undertake
broader
research regarding language policy and programs in Australia as well as
return
to the website and keep that production going. Next year we're looking
at
incorporating more literacy into the project in response to A<u>n</u>angu
participants who have expressed an interest in the project 'exchanging'
more
English literacy for the Pitjantjatjara learning. As Pantjiti McKenzie
says (in a letter to the Government requesting funding):<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: windowtext;">Ngapartji
Ngapartji English munu Pitjantjatjara
nintiringkuntjaku, Ngapartji Ngapartjinya wi<u>r</u>u nga<u>r</u>antjaku
rawa
mulapa. Panya ngana<u>n</u>a pulka<u>r</u>a mukuringanyi Ngapartji
Ngapartjila
nintintjikitja nganampa wi<u>r</u>u nga<u>r</u>antjaku Ngapartji
Ngapartjinya.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; color: windowtext;">We must each
learn English and
Pitjantjatjara so that Ngapartji Ngapartji will be a good force for a
long
time. You see we really want to teach in Ngapartji Ngapartji so that it
will
remain and thrive.<o:p></o:p></span></b>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">We plan to
start the program next year with Dani and Batesy heading out to </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Docker</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span><st1:PlaceType><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">River</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> with some of the young
people from
town to run video and performance-making workshops. </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Docker</span></st1:PlaceName><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span><st1:PlaceType><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">River</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> is the community where
Elton, Julie
and Sadie are originally from - right out west near the WA border.
Tickets are
on sale (and selling fast, opening night is already sold out!) for the </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Perth</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> season and dates will
soon be
confirmed for the </span><st1:City><st1:place><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Sydney</span></st1:place></st1:City><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> season. <a
href="http://perthfestival.com.au/index.cfm?go=events.view&Category=theatre&Event=ngapartji">http://perthfestival.com.au/index.cfm?go=events.view&Category=theatre&Event=ngapartji</a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">And don’t forget
you can log in any time to engage with our unique language and culture
site at <a href="http://ninti.ngapartji.org/">http://ninti.ngapartji.org</a><o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Thanks for
all your support, engagement and enthusiasm for the project, we are
thrilled
with where we are now and – after a good rest – can’t wait for the next
year!<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Happy
Christmas and wonderful New Year,<o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Ngapartji
Ngapartji <o:p></o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.ngapartji.org">http://www.ngapartji.org</a>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.bighart.org">http://www.bighart.org</a>
<br>
<br>
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