Blayne Welsh (Wailwan) is working with the support of the Kinchela Boys Home Corporation (KBH) to develop a community-driven verbatim theatre work with the working title Kings Brothers and Hero’s. Artist and Stolen Generation descendant Blayne Welsh has engaged directly with Kinchela Boys Home survivors throughout the process. The Kinchela Boys Home Corporation has provided access to oral histories and archival material to create the first iteration of a new theatrical work, driven by the community of survivors and descendants of the home.
The experiences of the Kinchela Boys Home Survivors, one of the more notorious Stolen Generations institutions that housed young Aboriginal boys between 1924 to 1970, represent some of the most shameful acts perpetrated in Australian History.
Like so many of these acts, the existence of the home institution remains unknown to most Australians, as does the ongoing cycle of trauma faced by the survivors and descendants. This development of a new work co-created by Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation and the community of survivors acts as an ongoing resource to support the learning of future generations about Australia’s true history.
This project is part of the Carriageworks in Development Program.
This project is part of the Carriageworks in Development Program.
With permission from the KBH Survivors, this performance contains the voices of people who have passed away. This performance contains stories that may cause distress and includes yarns about experiences of child sexual abuse which may be triggering.
Below is a list of voices shared in the development of Kings Brothers and Hero’s (working title)
1. Uncle Crow (Ian Lowe), 41
2. Descendant Recheal Daley
3. Uncle Roger Jarrett, 12
4. Uncle Colin Davis, 50
5. Uncle Willie Leslie, 46
6. Uncle James Michael “Widdy” Welsh, 36
7. “The Manager” (Frank White)
8. Uncle Cecil Dickson, 41
9. Uncle Les Franks, 48 & 5
10. Uncle Willy Nixon, 24
11. Uncle Cecil Bowden, 29 (Passed)
12. Uncle Stephen Ridgeway, 35 (Passed)
13. Uncle Lester Maher, 11
14. “The Prime Minister” (Kevin Rudd)
15. Uncle Harold Harrison, 44
16. Uncle Fred Egan, Number Forgotten
17. Uncle Richard Campbell, 28
18. The Architect, (Alan Croker)
19. Descendant Lesley Franks
20. The CEO (Tiffany McComsey)
21. Uncle Stan Harradine, 20
Presented by Carriageworks and Kinchela Boys Home.