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Blak & Bright First Nations Literary Festival acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional custodians of the sacred lands on which we work. We pay our respects to the people of the Kulin Nations and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, past present and future.

We recognise all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first storytellers; and that knowledge transfer through storytelling is imbedded in the very DNA of this Country.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings or printed material.

Bebe Backhouse

Hailing from the Kimberley region of north-Western Australia, Bebe Backhouse is a Bardi Jawi creator who’s called Narrm (Melbourne) home for ten years. Beginning his creative practice as a classical pianist and composer, Bebe was awarded a West Australian Youth Award at twenty-one for his work as a music teacher to young Indigenous people. He later made a name for himself as a creative producer and director of youth theatre, festivals, and public art projects across Australia, including international dance and theatre projects in New Zealand, France and Belgium. While holding senior positions at leading public arts organisations in Melbourne, Bebe successfully fostered many artistic opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives to showcase their work in mainstream platforms, allowing Traditional Culture to thrive in the public realm.


Events

FREE

Yung, Blak & Bold

Three young writers, Jazz Money, Teela May Reid and Davey Thompson, have been corresponding in the months leading up to the Festival. They’ll share snippets of their correspondence and the things that matter now.  Moderated by Bebe Backhouse.

March 19, 2022
12.30pm—1.30pm
FREE

Yarn Bombers

Three minute ‘bonus’ yarns from emerging community storytellers will pop up at the start of many sessions. See the future of Blak writing here first. Thank you to the Victorian Women’s Trust: Christine Friday and Kathleen Dooley Sub-Fund for giving us the opportunity to hold free masterclasses with award winning writer Jeanine Leane; and also…

March 19March 20, 2022   10.00am—6.15pm