There’s no going back.

In this final instalment of Refuge Talks Series we face forward. From seismic shifts in government and communities to the relief of finally hugging a friend, there will come a time when we blink and adjust our eyes to the world around us and sweat amongst many on dance floors again.

Recovery in all of its intricacies will be the subject of episode three: the psychology of disasters, the importance of caring for Country and the opportunity to radically open up inclusion, with guests including Damien Moloney of Red Cross Australia, artist/writer Fayen d’Evie and writer/researcher Cassie Lynch.

Justin Shoulder and Matt Stegh will share their thoughts on coming together through spaces of catharsis; Jen Rae will provide her weekly Future Proof Survival Guide while the rotating lineup of musicians this week features Kee’ahn.

Hosted by: Lee Shang Lun
Featuring:
Damien Moloney, Red Cross Australia
Cassie Lynch, Writer
Fayen d’Evie, Writer/Artist
Justin Shoulder & Matt Stegh, Artists
Dr Jen Rae, Artist
Live music by: Kee’ahn

Recovering from a Pandemic is a session of Refuge Talks Series, happening live every Thursday 21 May – 4 June, midday on Arts House’s website. From practical survival skills to tips from pandemic and medical experts, this three part series takes you beyond the headlines and into the worlds (and living rooms) of those who know what counts most in a time of crisis.

About the Host

Lee Shang Lun
Lee Shang Lun is an antidisciplinary artist, playful designer, independent game maker and community organizer. His interests include Christian theology, ecological economics, freestyle wrestling, speculative architecture, a cappella vocal ensembles, water polo, and tea.

About the Speakers

Cassie Lynch
Cassie Lynch is a writer, researcher and consultant living in Perth. She is currently researching a creative writing PhD investigating Aboriginal memory of ice ages and sea level rise. She is a descendant of the Noongar people and belongs to the beaches on the south coast of Western Australia. She is the co-founder of Woylie Fest, an all-Aboriginal storytelling festival.

Damien Moloney
Damien Moloney spent eight years working as a logistician and Field Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières in some of the poorest and strife-torn countries. For the last two years he has worked for Australian Red Cross in the Emergency Services Department helping Victorians deal with emergencies like bushfires, flooding and dealing with collective trauma events.

Fayen d’Evie
Fayen d’Evie is an artist and writer, born in Malaysia, raised in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and now living in the bushlands of unceded Dja Dja Wurrung country. Her collaborative projects proceed from the radical potential of blindness, resisting spectatorship by inviting audiences into sensorial readings of artworks.

Matt Stegh and Justin Shoulder
Matt Stegh and Justin Shoulder have been co-creating events, performances and actions within the queer community + beyond for the past 10 years. Stegh is an interdisciplinary artist whose extensive experience includes costume and set design, sculpture and illustration. Shoulder is an artist/storyteller working in performance, sculpture and video.

Dr Jen Rae
Dr Jen Rae is a Narrm (Melbourne)-based artist-researcher of Métis-Scottish descent. Her 15-year practice-led research is focussed on cultural responses to climate/everything change, specifically the role of artists. Her work is engaged in discourses around food in/security, disaster preparedness and speculative futures predominantly articulated through multi-platform creative projects, transdisciplinary collaborative methodologies, and community alliances.

About the Musician

Kee’ahn
Kee’ahn is a proud Gugu Yalanji, Jirrbal, Zenadth Kes song woman who has recently ventured from her home town in North Queensland, to pursue her dream in the Kulin Nation. With a name coming from the Wik people, meaning to dance, to sing, to play, Kee’ahn aims to honour her name and Ancestors through her soulful music that weaves lush melodies and words reminiscent of heartbreak and healing.