Fairy tale enthusiasts from across Australia and beyond will gather this weekend, June 14-15, in Sydney for our conference, Over Water, Under Water, Magical Waters of Fairy Tales.
For your interest and delight the full program has been revealed, and registrations are still welcome (quickly!) via our conference page. See you at Prince Henry Bay!
The place where we will meet for our Sydney conference – our coming together – is Bidjigal land, water, and sky. Current evidence is that Aboriginal people have been living around Sydney Harbour for about 20,000 years, though the population was thin and sporadic up until about 5,000 years ago.
One of the two oldest sites around current Sydney is a hearth from about 7,800 years before present at the old Prince Henry Hospital site. We truly will be standing on ancient land as many generations have done before us.
We are honoured and grateful that Aunty Barbara Simms-Keeley will Welcome us to her Country.
Aunty Barbara, a Bidjigal, Gweagal and Wandi Wandi elder, who was taken away from her family when she was just eight years old, grew up on a nearby Mission. She knows this place deeply and can tell stories from the mid-20th century about fishing and swimming around here, and the people and places that she remembers. Here’s one she recorded for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Aunty Barbara protects the living too as an experienced Aged Care Co-ordinator, and as an Aboriginal health worker who has worked tirelessly in raising community awareness around cancer. She also nurtures and educates all the community, from whatever cultural background, to listen, to understand and to respect.
We are very grateful to her and to the Bidjigal people for making us welcome.
The stunning artwork for this year’s conference, Over Water, Under Water, Magical Waters of Fairy Tales, is worth diving deep into to find all the stories and characters that are hidden under water.
If you would like to own this art yourself, you can buy any version of merchandise you choose through the AFTS Redbubble store.
This remarkable painting was created by our own Helen McCosker, who contributes so much to the Illawarra Fairy Tale Ring, including the creation of their logo.
Helen is a children’s author and illustrator from Thirroul, a seaside village south of Sydney. Helen’s picture book, The Night Fish – another watery theme! – was published in 2006 by The Five Mile Press.
As a keen woodworker, she is currently working on a collection of wooden ‘assemblages’ inspired by her love of fairy tales.
Helen continues to share not only her art and depth of knowledge, but the generosity of spirit that inspires other member artists to find new ways of interpreting fairy tales – which is what the Society is all about. You can meet her from June 14-15 at the conference, where she will deliver, Once: How an Exhibition Came to Life.
Australian Fairy Tale Society 