Sam Cook, from Australia, is in England - on a three-month immersion and indulgence as the first AbORIGINAL artist to undertake the UK sponsored International Arts Fellowship - this is what she has to say about the experience so far.
1 Jun 2007
Sam Cook
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Writing and Publishing
The SamORIGINE is BLAK in England. Having been a yo-yo visitor three times last year I was busy making history, making contacts, riding the Underground like a local and promoting BLAKSTAGEtheatre. This time I’m on a three-month immersion and indulgence as the first AbORIGINAL artist to undertake the UK sponsored International Arts Fellowship.
My being here is not so much a fascination with England or a love of Ol Blighty. I’m hardly one of the The Neighbours – ‘Madge and Harold’ invaders, those archetypal Aussies who in their maturity return in bucketloads on a pilgrimage to pre-convict roots. Or the pub-crawlers who can be seen draped in an Aussie flag strolling down the centre of Leicester Square crissed as a picket. Like a bunch of lemmings they surge forth on their way to the nearest cricket telecast to drown in a pint of Fosters, and can be heard screaming in the broadest of accents ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi’. As IF the flag wasn’t enough of a giveaway!
Sam Cook is currently Executive Producer of Yirra Yaakin. A published illustrator, internet addict and alleged future world leader, Sam has been working in publishing for 13 years, Theatre for 5 and has been arts inclined ever since she can remember. She is a member of the Yirra Yaakin Dream-Team, the artistic hub of the wierd and wonderful and has recently written for the CHOOteam COMEDY TROUPE. Her credits include: endless marketing gumpff, countless documents spouting bureaucrotise and has ghost-written waay too many people to care. She has a number of children’s book stories sitting in “My Documents”, writes annual blogs for the Worlds Indigenous Peoples Network and in her spare time [ha!] continues to design and illustrate. JILAS BUSH MEETING is Sam’s latest creative endeavour, but her EP passion lay in further defining the Aboriginal theatre Industry within the context of the International Indigenous Theatre industry. Should you ever have a spare moment…hour…day ask her about CLUB SAVAGE, the Indigenous art movement for the new millennium!
