One Billion Beats

2010 - 2016

Visual Arts; Music; Theatre; Live Interactive Performances; Text & Literature

Artist/s: Based on an original concept by Romaine Moreton, Written & Directed by Romaine Moreton & Alana Valentine, Performed by Romaine Moreton, Set Design by Romaine Moreton & Sean Bacon, Video Design by Sean Bacon, Lighting Design by Hugh Hamilton, Music Composition & Sound Design by Lou Bennett, Associate Producer Vicki Gordon Music Productions

One Billion Beats is a project commissioned by Campbelltown Arts Centre that has been in development since 2010. Goenpul Jagara and Bundjulung writer, film maker and artist Romaine Moreton has been working with collaborators Lou Bennett (Music), Alana Valentine (Writing and Direction), Sean Bacon (Video) and Vicki Gordon (Associate Producer) on crafting this multi-disciplinary music theatre piece. In 2015 Binung Boorigan (Romaine Moreton and Lou Bennett’s production company) secured further Australia Council for the Arts Funding to support the development and presentation of the project.

The title refers to the heartbeats of one billion Indigenous people who lived before invasion, weaving their stories through the landscape. Using spoken word, music, contemporary theatre techniques and cinematic visuals, One Billion Beats excavates the historical representation of Aboriginal people in Australian film with autobiographical reflection by Romaine on her experiences of being both hostage to and liberated from the constraints of Western paradigms in relation to Indigenous identity.

Partners: Binung Boorigan

Funding: Australia Council for the Arts (Creative Australia)