Black Diasporas Boorloo-Perth community opening

Black Diasporas Boorloo-Perth is an oral narrative project that documents the experiences of individuals from the African diaspora living in Perth. Join us at this community opening to celebrate with the 150+ residents of African diasporic heritage who contributed to making this project a reality by hearing 500+ of their stories, and seeing 10 commissioned short films.

The project builds on the success of the Naarm-Melbourne, Tkaronto-Toronto, and Manahatta-NYC editions. Making a reference to African oral narrative cultural practices, by hearing people, literally, tell their own stories in their own voice, we learn more about diversity and nuance of the Black Life in this city.

In addition to the community opening, and travelling exhibitions later this year the project will manifest as a digital map, an archive that holds stories ranging from the Australian contribution to the anti-apartheid movement, to the mundaness of catching the train, the joys of family life, and birth, to the loss of life, mental health challenges, and the tragedy of the effects of racial stereotyping; the history and changes of suburbs from Fremantle to the Swan Valley - Joondalup to Mandurah, Mirrabooka to Cannington, to community events, the joys of family life, joys of family life; playing as a child; the history of our suburbs.

Our voices telling our stories.

2:00pm Welcome to Country

in addition to the exhibition there will be a series of small group conversations:

(the talks are adjacent but separate to the exhibit)

2:15-3:10pm A Black Motherhood Reflection Circle by Blossoming Kin (open this link to RSVP)

2:15-3:10pm Spotting the Signs: Identifying Practical Ways to Support Someone in Crisis (men's conversation) open this link to RSVP

3:15-4:10pm The Western Experience: A Journey of Identity, Culture & Belonging (open tis link to RSVP)

3:15-4:00pm The Final Journey: Death, Ritual and Remembrance across the Black Diaspora (open this link to RSVP)

4:15-5:00pm Unmasking Racial Trauma: Reclaiming Cultural and Community Resilience through Body, Mind, Spirit, Culture & Community (open this link to RSVP)

4:15-5:00pm Working for Free (open this link to RSVP)

5:15-6:00pm Elders without Borders - The Black Diaspora Retirement Reality (open this link to RSVP)

5:15-6:00pm Can you speak? Raising children in the diaspora and keeping language alive (open this link to RSVP)

6:00-7:00pm Film Screening and Q&A

This is a child friendly event.

Black Diasporas Boorloo-Perth is part of the Perth Design Week program.

Special thanks to the Scanlon Foundation for sponsoring the Black Diasporas Boorloo-Perth project, and the Museum of Western Australia for hosting this community opening.

Many thanks to The Australian Multicultural Foundation, Curtin University - Centre for Australia-Africa Relations, BN Collective, BGLU, Kaya Radio, Curtin African Students Association, Murdoch University African Society, OACWA for supporting this work.