BEMAC Discussions: Memory, Nostalgia and Agency in Sharing the Personal

We are thrilled to invite you to BEMAC Discussion #3, an engaging Panel Discussion on Monday June 19. The discussion will delve into the fascinating realms of Memory, Nostalgia, and Agency in Sharing the Personal.

As diverse artists, we often find ourselves in situations where we are asked to share our personal stories or create art that is deeply connected to memory and nostalgia. But how do we ensure our safety and preserve our agency in these settings?

Join us for a thought-provoking discussion as we navigate the intersection of art, personal narratives, and self-care. Together with our panellists, we will explore the challenges and opportunities that arise when sharing personal stories infused with memories and nostalgia.

The panellists for this discussion are:

Tenzin Choegyal, artist, composer, activist, musical director and cultural ambassador, Tenzin Choegyal is one of the world’s finest musicians in the Tibetan tradition, proudly continuing the nomadic lineage which is central to his repertoire. He continues to draw inspiration from classical Tibetan texts and poetry at the same time taking an experimental approach to sound, instrumentation and musical performance.

Aurora Liddle-Christie, a Meanjin based Arrernte-Afro-Carribean multidisciplinary artist. Her music (SOLCHLD), spoken word poetry, performance and playwriting explored the liminal space she occupies in her experience. Addressing themes such as identity, decolonisation, healing, home and relationships. Aurora maps the journey as she walks it, offering the lessons learnt along the way.

Liliana Maria, powerful storyteller, Anthropologist, Activist & Cultural Educator, who draws on her lived experience to create workshops in order to shift perceptions and narratives on topics of Ethical Storytelling, Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants. Liliana has a B.A. Double Major in Anthropology and Philosophy with a strong focus on migration, human rights and world issues. Liliana has also completed an Honours degree in Anthropology with her thesis titled: ‘Who owns the story?’ Stories of people from a Refugee and Asylum Seeker background, exploring power dynamics, counter hegemonic narratives, and ethical storytelling practices. Liliana arrived in Australia in 1988 as a refugee on a humanitarian visa. Born in Santiago, Chile, Liliana’s passion for shifting the narrative has taken her to feature in theatre performances, panel discussions, podcast interviews, radio and more.

Cieavash Arean was born in Tehran,Iran.A self-taught musician playing a number of instruments such as : Barbat, Kamanche, Ney, Tar, Flute , Daf ( hand drum) , Zorna, Ghoshme, Flute and Piano accordion. His most recent performances have been in “The Neighbourhood” and “The Village” in La Boite theatre, Travellers in GOMA, Refugee day, Luminous Festival, Parliament house and in south bank performing with Diaspora Ensemble. He has performed in Woodford Folk Festival, QPAC,Customs and Government House ,Brisbane Multicultural Festival, Brisbane Festival, Bundaberg Multicultural Festival. He did the music for theatrical plays “Vikram and The Vampire ” and “A beautiful life”- by Michael and Hellen Futcher,composed and played music for a short film called FEARLESS by Tamucin Mostafa, and also played music for “1001 nights” by Queensland Theatre company and Queensland music festival.

The panel will be hosted by Nima Doostkhah, a multidisciplinary artist who has been focusing on theatre and music for the past few years. Born in 1983, Nima spent his early childhood witnessing the bombing of his city Esfahan and learning to process his world through art. Using the backdrop of his own experience and with the encouragement of his parents, Nima explored the many ways that emotions and thoughts can be expressed via a variety of media. Recently this work includes collaboration with Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra and writing and performing verbatim theatre as a member of La Boite Theatre Company’s award-winning ensemble of artists “The Neighbourhood”. Nima is currently working on a number of projects as a teaching artist, rapper, actor, visual performer, writer, poet and producer.