Of the Land on Which We Meet
Walking on stone and cement it can be hard to remember what it feels like to have earth beneath our feet.
What does it mean to be where we are?
By opening up the acknowledgement of Country and taking a closer look within it, we search for a way to address the possible lack of connection contemporary Australians have with the spirituality of the land.
We follow the journey of three contemporary Australian circus artists with distinct relationships with Country; an indigenous Australian, a descendant of migrants, and a descendant of colonial settlers.
Of the Land on Which We Meet hopes to re-discover a connection we once had on Country with 60,000 years of history, spirit and story.
Every day across the continent, people "acknowledge" country in this place - but what does that really mean? Do these acknowledgements carry serious respect - are they just empty words? How deep is our connection to this country - to its history, and its First Peoples? What do we really know about this land upon which we meet?
I want this work to be a visceral, thrilling investigation of those questions, and a reimagining of what a meaningful acknowledgment could look like. For Aboriginal people, land and country are a constant source of spiritual connection that must be cherished, respected and celebrated; yes, that can be achieved through words - but I want to show that it can also be realised through movement, and circus.
- Harley Mann, Director