:: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 ::

Tuesday April 22 – Workshop 1

The call was put out…we had an enormous response and an amazing group of young people turn up to the first workshop…. Upon entering the room, already I can feel the intensity and I just know that ‘this one’s’ going to be a winner!

What I mean by ‘this one’, is each and every young person standing in the makeshift performance space at the back of Bankstown Youth Development Service, is a sure winner…which of course makes this project a winner because it’s going the be their baby!

.still chatting socially, getting to know the crew!

On come TJ, Claudia, Enda and myself. We sit together in a circle alongside the full house of faces shining with energy and passion; the casings of 21 young Arab/ Australians waiting to make their voices heard. And, the games begin….TJ - "Tell us your name and one thing you did this week"…

"My name is Hashem, I had a car accident this morning. I drive a Mazda Astina, top of the line, fully optioned and I hit a brand new Mazda. And, then I got pulled over this afternoon. My car got defected to the max and impounded. And, I wasn’t insured, so I’m F**ck**….

"My name is Matuse and I got stopped and questioned by coppers TWICE today. For no reason, I was stopped and questioned because of the way I look"….

"My name is Ahmad and I woke up this morning really craving cousa (arab style stuffed zucchini) but my mum made Loubia (arab style broad beans) instead, and I had the shits, but I ate it anyway cause I was hungry"…

And there are loads more already intriguing intro’s, Ahmad number 2 walked from Auburn to Bankstown to get to the workshop (that’s a really long walk – like a few suburbs away and by car would take 20 mins).

The intricate personalities of a charismatic, real, articulate and determined clan of cleverness emerges within minutes! I already feel like I’m with a bunch of my friends, ‘my family’ so to speak… that warmth or ‘erbi’ of our culture is being transmitted through our body language, and even those that don’t know one another, are already making friends…

O.K! so the name games are over and we get into some storytelling. In groups of three, the participants share a story with one another (an actual event), and then one of these stories will be delivered to the rest of the group… There’s five stories and five short performances that are already worthy of being put to camera, and the delivery…. I’m speechless… Some of the characters already coming out in the stories…the racist copper, the ignorant school teacher, the racist employer, the nagging Arab parents, the crazy Arab boyfriend, the homosexual shoe salesman, the extended family members that all live in the same house ‘Emmi’ (mum), ‘Bayi’ (dad), ‘khayi’ (brother), ‘Oukhti’ (sister), ‘Joz-Oukhti’ (brother-in law), ‘Mart-Khayi’ (sister in law), ‘Gedo’ (grandpa), ‘Teita’ (grandma)….

And, we leave Tuesday night feeling like we’ve just started a new family of our own…Until Saturday!
:: Patrick 6:52 PM [+] ::
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