LONGING BELONGING LAND

School students are invited to contribute to a public ceremony of personal commitment to healing and change.

Marking the ongoing significance, necessity and importance of the National Apology, the Ngarra Jarra tree will burn, laden with 'clooties', at Birrarung Mar on the Opening Night of the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

Each 'clootie' or cloth will contain a hand written expression of commitment inspired by the Apology, by love of country or perhaps by the urgent need to ‘Close the Gap' between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities.

A procession of illuminated shrines, a unique healing ceremony, fire ritual and dance will all take place with Indigenous and Non-Indigenous performers, elders, artists and musicians at the foot of the Ngarra Jarra Tree.

Download the Longing Belonging Land flier (pdf file, 235kb)

CREATE YOUR OWN 'CLOOTIE' - WRITE YOUR OWN MESSAGE OF HOPE

Simply send an email with the message you would like written on your 'clootie' to artist Margie Mackay at: longingbelongingland@gmail.com

THE CEREMONY

The Ngarra Jarra tree has been created as an interactive honouring of the Stolen Generations. Ngarra Jarra translates as 'Healing' in Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people. The 5m tall Ngarra Jarra Tree will be covered with small red ‘clooties' or cloths; each woven in to the meters of fire rope that will burn, releasing hopes and dreams for reconciliation and equity, at the climax of the ceremony. Over 1000 clooties will contain handwritten messages created by school children, community groups and local council reconciliation groups.

During the Festival's Opening Night Celebration at Federation Square more clooties will be collected from the audience and used as the final decoration of the Ngarra Jarra Tree, before the audience is led in procession to Birrarung Mar for the Longing Belonging Land fire ceremony.

Please bring a rug, cushion or low seat to sit on, rug up and be mindful of Melbourne's changeable weather!

Longing Belonging Land will commence at approximately 8.30pm on Thursday the 9th October 2008, Birrarung Mar

Longing Belonging Land and the Melbourne Festival Opening Night Celebration are FREE events