Native Voices takes Australia

Native Voices at the Autry Takes The Red Road to AustraliaNative Voices at the Autry Takes The Red Road to Australia

to represent the United States at the ASSITEJ World Congress in Adelaide, Australia, May 9–18, 2008,

followed by a Native Voices artist residency at the Originals Festival at the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane, May 18–23

Native Voices at the Autry is in demand at two international events in Australia, where Native Voices artists will showcase their creative talents and exchange ideas with diverse groups in workshops, panels, and performances.

First, the Native Voices production of The Red Road by Arigon Starr has been selected from among 200 international entries to represent the United States at the 16th ASSITEJ World Congress and Performing Arts Festival for Young People (ASSITEJ 2008). The festival is a celebration of performing arts for young people by the people who make, administrate, research, and experience its creation. “It is a huge honor to be representing the United States and also Native America and to be doing this in a contemporary way. I’m proud to be showing my people in a modern setting, in situations everyone can relate to,” says Starr.

“ASSITEJ 2008 aims to bring together diverse people from diverse cultures with diverse stories to share, experience, and celebrate this diversity,” said ASSITEJ Artistic Director Jason Cross. The festival’s theme, Old Knowledge, New Word, provides a departure point for this framework with shows from the Asia Pacific; shows by Indigenous artists; diverse practice in form and content including dance, musical theater, spoken word, puppetry, and large-scale and smaller works; shows for all age groups from 1 to 18 years; and works that demonstrate collaborations between companies and artists from different countries or cultures.