After the success of City of Caseys’ Summer Sounds event earlier this month, the council has shown no sign of slowing down its support of all things artistic with the recent announcement of a new drama series set to captivate audiences at Bunjil Place.

The series, titled Black Box, promises to be a collection of dramatic, thought-provoking, and compelling performances. Made up of a collection of spoken word, music, movement and dance, each performance will be followed by Q & A sessions to delve deeper into the performers, their influences, and their journeys to the stage. Despite showcasing four distinctly unique performers, the common theme of resilience that is set to resonate within each performance demonstrates a clear message that through any cultural diversity lies a profound and unbreakable sense of human spirit and connection.

The series commences on April 4th and Bunjil Place will first play host to the self-professed ‘walking political statement’ Ghenoa Gela. Gela’s performance of My Urrwai boasts both a revealing reflection on and celebration of cultural and familial inheritance, as well as an unflinching comment on race relations in Australia. Having garnered rave reviews from the likes of Time Out and the Sydney Morning Herald, the show is one of strength and determination and is not to be missed.

Following from Gela’s performance there is a tantalising wait until the next performer graces the Bunjil Place stage. The wait concludes, however, on the 22nd of May, with the staging of acclaimed writer/director’s Connor McDermottroe hauntingly tender play Swansong. Swansong has already proven itself as an internationally recognised, award-winning melodrama and has time and time again drawn audiences for its stunningly beautiful, yet utterly tragic dramatic arc. Shunned by both church, state, and family, the protagonist, Occi, must battle his way in a dog eat dog world, constantly trying to find some way to thrust himself into adulthood in a dreary Western Ireland.

After Swansong, the next performance is one delivered by Jacob Boehme on the 22nd of August. Through a powerful blend of storytelling, projection, and movement, Boehme, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1998, will explore the connective and defining power of blood in his performance of Blood on the Dancefloor. Boehme is a choreographer, dancer, and writer from the Narangga and Kaurna nations of South Australia and pays homage to both his ancestor’s ceremonies whilst dissecting the politics of gay, Blak and poz identities in his performances, going on a journey to discover how multiple identities intertwine.

Blood on the Dancefloor

The final performance in the Black Box series is The Kutcha Edwards Hour. To be performed on the 30th of October, the event is an invitation to be immersed in the lifelong experiences of a Stolen Generations member through songs and stories. Kutcha Edwards, a renowned Aboriginal singer/songwriter and proud Mutti Mutti man, creates an atmosphere like no other in his performances as he seamlessly fuses his beautiful voice with soulful arrangements in an original and Australian approach to the blues.

These performances are set to showcase not only the diversity of the human experience, but demonstrate the connectedness each and every one of us, performer or audience member, has towards universal experiences of hardship, resilience, and identity. The City of Casey has once again dedicated the beautiful space of Bunjil Place to fostering and supporting the artistic expression of the diverse Australian community.

For all bookings head to www.bunjilplace.com.au/events or call 9709 9700.