A moving play about Indigenous history is coming back to Ballarat after an outside performance in the Botanical Gardens three years ago.
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In time for the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week, the show Facing Up will be taking to the stage later this month.
"Right from that first performance people were very moved," director and writer Lynden Nicholls said.
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In 2019, the actors depicted the story of historical Indigenous protests alongside the attitudes and policies of Australian prime ministers.
"Many of us know little bits and pieces of the story, but we do not know all of it," Ms Nicholls said.
She said the audience got to hear what happened "from a federal policy perspective, from Edmund Barton all the way along until the present day".
At the time the performance ended with a statement from Malcolm Turnbull.
"It is sort of a famous statement, where he says something like, I will not entertain or consider the Uluru Statement from the Heart," Ms Nicholls said.
"You can imagine that the crowd that we have developed along the way were fairly stunned by that as the ending."
The performance has now been adapted for the stage and will be performed again on Saturday, July 9 at Federation University's Helen MacPherson Smith Theatre.
"Because it does bring up issues for people we usually try to have a Q&A after the show and we will be doing that again at this performance," Ms Nicholls said.
The audience will have an opportunity to speak to members of the cast as well as Ms Nicholls.
After her 2019 performance, she said many people approached her to say this show would be a great education tool.
"Ever since that feedback, which came from both Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people, I have been determined to get it into schools," Ms Nicholls said.
"We have just received news that Regional Arts Victoria have accepted us onto their schools touring program for next year.
"The actors and people who have been involved in the project are so passionate about taking that next step, RAV are giving us that opportunity and we are so chuffed."
In the process of creating the show, she was in touch with many people who helped develop the story.
"I consulted a lot with all sorts of Indigenous groups and Indigenous individuals," Ms Nicholls said.
"There has been a lot of warmth and support for the whole project."
Tickets are available at www.trybooking.com/CABOL
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