Cape Hawke is a creative reconstruction of an unfinished play by the late Brian Syron - Aboriginal theatre maker, actor, writer and cultural activist. Written in 1985 and hidden away in family archives for decades, the manuscript was unearthed in 2022, opening the door to a remarkable journey of discovery bringing archival research, theatre-making, and Indigenous cultural knowledge into dialogue.
A work of historical fiction, Cape Hawke unfolds on Worrimay clan lands in the Minimbah (Forster) region of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Set across two time frames - 1943 and the late 1890s - the play draws audiences into a hidden family history and reimagines the lives of Aboriginal people navigating the complex social, political and cultural forces of their time. At its heart, Cape Hawke is a story of love, hope, and belonging, shaped by the pressures of history and the consequences of forces beyond the lives of its characters.
This play reading is supported by the School of Arts & Media. With assistance from the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab.
LIVE EVENT & VENUE INFORMATION
Io Myers Studio is a part of the the Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab (CPL) which is located at UNSW Sydney's Kensington Campus. Please note this is a live event only, and will not be available via livestream.
TICKETS
ACCESS
Wheelchair Access
The Creative Practice Lab is located at UNSW Sydney's Kensington campus. The closest accessible drop-off point to the venue is a lift accessible underground carpark opposite the building. Access via Gate 2, High Street and turn right at the round about. Vehicles can drop off patrons directly in front of the venue or proceed to the underground carpark to the right which is a 200 metre walk approximately.
More information on getting there can be found via our interactive accessibility map available here.
Hearing Loop
The Creative Practice Lab has hearing assistive technology available. Patrons wishing to utilise this service must collect a Roger™ inductive neck loop receiver from the venue staff, and this system can be used with a hearing aid or cochlear implant with a T-coil, or with headphones. Please advise if you require the use of the hearing loop before arrival.
Auslan & Captioning
Auslan interpreting services and/or live captioning can be provided for selected talks upon request.
Contact
To book and discuss access services, please call the CPL on 02 9348 2313 or email sam@unsw.edu.au.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT & PARKING
The Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab is easily accessible via public transport and the closest light rail stop is UNSW Anzac Parade (L3 line). For more information please call the Transport Infoline on 131 500 or visit transportnsw.info.
Free parking is also available in the Barker St Car Park (Gate 14) from 5.30pm. For access to free parking, event patrons must park in the UNSW Permit Holder bays, available on all levels. The Barker St Car Park (Gate 14) parking station is located here.
Paid casual and visitor parking is offered via the CellOPark App and ‘pay by plate meters’ in all other UNSW car parks. For more information head here.
CONTACT
For all the other enquiries, please email sam@unsw.edu.au or call the Creative Practice Lab on 02 9348 2313.
The Creative Practice Lab is happy to receive phone calls via the National Relay Service. TTY users, phone 133 677, then ask for 02 9348 2313. Speak and Listen users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 02 9348 2313. For more information on all other relay calls visit here.
Liza-Mare is a creative practitioner and researcher with kinship ties to the Birripay and Worrimay peoples of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. A founding member of Moogahlin Performing Arts, she is an Indigenous Scientia Associate Professor in the School of Arts and Media at UNSW and Co-Associate Dean (Indigenous) in the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture.
Her research and creative practice center on Indigenous performance, theatre and the creative processes of Indigenous theatre makers. She is the author of Rehearsal Practices of Indigenous Women Theatre Makers: Australia, Aotearoa, and Turtle Island (2021), and has published widely on Indigenous theatre and performance.
Her current creative research project, Cape Hawke, reimagines an unfinished play by the late Brian Syron.
