STEPPING out in Mallacoota in the wake of lockdowns, back to where photographer Helga Salwe first captured the apocalyptic post-bushfire landscape, offered author Cate Kennedy a sense of optimism.
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Kennedy felt a visceral connection with the species that were lost, the COVID-pivots everyone had been forced to make and, amid it all there was rejuvenation.
Together they had set out to see what they could find, Salwe with the photos and Kennedy balancing words to match but adamant text should not have a placard vibe of facts. Their "little book" was called Return.
Kennedy will share the project for Courthouse Conversations as part of CresFest.
The project has kept evolving, starting as poetry and sending poem fragments to friend, Adelaide singer-songwriter Jen Lush, who created a 10-minute soundtrack with footage from Salwe's photography for a new installation.
"Music and art is an amazing way to make commentary to move people," Kennedy said. "You can't change policy but you can change hearts and minds ... All those things blend together and make something inspiring and invigorating. To me, it's a great thing for making art to give energy rather than taking energy away. That is singing and being together."
The Castlemaine-based Kennedy has earned a string of literary awards. Her short story anthology Like a House on Fire features on the VCE English text list.
Kennedy said listening to other people's stories and crafting a text out of love was important. She loved the overlap this had in sharing stories via music.
Festivals such as CresFest or the coming Clunes Booktown Festival or Bendigo Writers' Festival in May were all part of the pandemic recovery process and being together once more.
"Return is about optimism," Kennedy said. "I'm also interested in the people who were returning, those who stayed inside wanting to be back in nature again after being inside for so long. It's amazing what we crave and the space you want."
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The project with Salwe started with a two-week journey up the New South Wales coastline, taking time for whale-watching and enjoying kangaroos and obese seals going about life in nature.
They reached Bundanon Homestead, home to Arthur Boyd's studio and left as an artist's residence. This offered the time to talk and reflect and decide how to best join images and text as a collaboration.
Kennedy said as a writer she did not set out with an agenda. Rather, the project was more about seeing what they could find. Together, they hope to have captured themes of celebration in community - a little like CresFest has been in bringing Creswick together after flooding and lockdowns.
CresFest starts March 31: cresfest.com.au
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