Dear Scott— and the performance of protest

Thanks to actors Georgina Naidu and fellow 7-ONer Ned Manning, to dramaturg and director Kathryn Millard, all at fortyfivedownstairs (what a fabulous performance space that is) and to the audience for making this first outing of Dear Scott— such a successful one.

This is Ned, myself (Noëlle) and Georgina rehearsing Dear Scott--

I originally got into the arts via political activism. Years later, I’m back doing the performance of protest. These are very dark days in Australia. Last night I watched Tony Abbott (and Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison’s replacement as Minister for Immigration & Border Protection) refuse even to consider resettling any of the Rohingya or Bangladeshi asylum-seekers stranded in rickety boats off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia with dwindling supplies of food and water. The UN may deem the Rohingya one of the world’s most persecuted people, but for Mr Abbott it’s a big Nope—actually 3 Nopes. We are the wealthiest country in the region, but this government seems happy to let our less well off neighbours do all the heavy lifting.

For more about the Rohingya see Clara Tran’s report for ABC News

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-21/explainer-who-are-the-rohingya-fleeing-myanmar/6487130

Dear Scott— is in part about the role of writers and artists in society. About the responsibility we have to speak out about injustices and hold elected governments to account for the things they do in our name.

Dear Scott—

If you live in Melbourne or are going to be there later this month, I’ve got a Melbourne reading of Dear Scott—

Thursday 21 May, 7:00 pm

fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Written by Noëlle Janaczewska

Dramaturgy & direction by Kathryn Millard

Read by: Georgina Naidu, myself, and fellow 7-ONer Ned Manning

Dear Scott—

A playwright’s more or less unrequited correspondence with the Minister/s for Immigration & Border Protection

I’d signed petitions and marched on demonstrations. With friends and colleagues there was a lot of talk—about mean spirits and narrow minds, about dirty political tricks to win votes. But it wasn’t enough. For all the anger I felt about Australia’s treatment of asylum-seekers, what had I, Noëlle Janaczewska, actually done? My outrage was aired in cafés and across dinner tables with people who shared it, and there it stayed. Because whenever I thought about the cruel and punitive way this country deals with refugees I felt hopeless—or helpless—or both. The issue seemed too big. The people who could change things had no heart to do so. But it wasn’t enough to sigh and splutter at each successive policy announcement. I needed to translate my anger into something tangible, challenge those responsible for sending asylum-seekers to offshore gulags.

Words would be my weapon of choice.

Christmas Day 2013. I wrote a letter to Scott Morrison, then Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. A paper, snail-mail missive, not an email likely to get ‘lost’ in his department’s spam filter. And every Wednesday for the next 6 months, I wrote to the Minister.

This is our correspondence …

The reading is free, runs for about an hour, and there will be a short Q & A afterwards.

More information: http://www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/events/dear-scott—/

Booking: info@fortyfivedownstairs.com or 03 9662 9966