Attended by 200 people, the night was a significant coming together of whitefellas and blackfellas at the iconic venue, united by the celebration of survival through storytelling, music, poetry, soup and conversation.
YARN Australia founder, Warren Roberts, believes the event was a landmark occasion given the timing and the historical association of Captain Cook. “There’s no doubt that James Cook represents different things depending who you ask,” said Mr Roberts, a Thunghutti man who grew up in Redfern on The Block.
“To some he is the face of discovery and exploration while to many others he represents the time of conflict and dispossession in Australia. So for us to hold an event there in the pub with stories of Elders and young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the focus was very powerful to be a part of.”
“Blackfulla-Whitefulla, Any Fulla” featured conversations with Uncle Graham Mooney, Aunty Kathryn Dodd Farrawell and Preston Peachey, as well as deadly performances by the Black Turtles, who opened the main stage at Yabun Festival, and Green Hand Band.
Since 2007 Mr Roberts had been developing YARN with a goal of uniting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians through workshops and events held within safe and respectful spaces. “What we saw on Friday night was what the future can look like. It was very encouraging to see so many non-Indigenous Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people willing to listen and be present in a space of respect.”
While Mr Roberts understands that people may be surprised to hear about a partnership between YARN Australia and the Captain Cook Hotel, he believes these types of unique relationships are exactly what will help Australia build a more united future. “The Captain Cook team has been great to work with and shares similar values to YARN. We’ve spoken about the fact that we have thousands of years of living culture to celebrate in Australia and 228 years of shared history to talk about. We can’t change the past, but our event on Friday proved there is plenty of hope for the future.”
