“Through a long and steady friendship built over many years with Britt Guy who works under the moniker, ACCOMPLICE, Next Wave invited five artists from around the continent to spend time here in Larrakia country, meeting, listening and witnessing the particular and deadly way that artists local to this area work. Hosted as part of Darwin festival, 13 of us took office in an empty shop at the Rapid Creek Markets. Amidst the hustle of the markets there we were, a group of artists treating our time, connection, dialogue, our right to complaint, our innate hope and visions of the future with the same amount of urgency as getting you your flat chilli noodles served to you in that small but perfect Sunday morning window.  We named this exchange MarketMarket in honor of the site we made our temporary studios.

We began by watching and listening to the birds of Larrakia, under the prolific and expert guidance of Dr Amanda Lilleyman aka Dr Bird, we dined at long tables amongst exhibitions at Coconut Studios the Northern Centre of Contemporary Art in a somewhat clandestine style. We experienced the incredible gush of joy that was the Sangeet at Darwin Festival and we presented experimental works by Matty van Roden and Carlo Ansaldo, Mikaela Lee, Kelly Beneforti and James Mangohig.

All amid the market at night, while spotlighting three local vendors and their heritage cuisine. We even swam at Nightcliff beach under watchful local eyes. 

I’m not gonna lie, it was awesome and there was not an outcome, deadline or KPI to be seen.  I left with this exchange with Dr Bird ringing in my mind almost like a curse she bestowed on me - I asked her, once you start listening to the birds, can you switch it on and off or are you always hearing them?  She said, no, I can’t turn it off or choose when to listen and now that you’ve started listening, you’ll never be able to turn it off, you’re fucked mate.

As a guest, this is the way I love to meet a country.  Through its artists and their conversations.  It makes me wonder: Why would I bring in another conversation, sounds from somewhere else when there is already so much birdsong to listen to here? Perhaps, in time I would, but for now, I’m blessed and cursed with the need to listen to what’s here first.

I want to be straight up here and confess to you that this was not Next Wave who designed this exceptionally led experience of the riches of Larrakia Country through the eyes and ears of artists that choose to live and work here.  This careful programme was curated by Accomplice and co-produced by Next Wave. My experience of care from Accomplice was passionate, thoughtful, detailed and left deep and long lasting impressions on all who participated. It left me with a deep sense of what it means to make a choice to stay and invest in the rhythms, the seasons, the particular sway of life in Larrakia, rather than run to the supposed powers of big city arts markets.

I also want to say that the process was not always a box of birds - it consisted of hard conversations, the drawing and redrawing of boundaries, the constant defining and redefining of shared values, negotiations of trust.  I had to reckon with the independent status of Accomplice, bringing their hard won local knowledge and relationships to a Next Wave Program without the financial security that my organization is privileged to have and operate under. I’m proud that this process was difficult.  The project was too good for us not to pay close and careful attention to it. It demanded our time, our risk and our investment. This project for us is exactly what our shift away from tired festival and box office models is about. And I thank Accomplice, from the bottom of my heart for challenging me to step up to the plate with them and making me better at my job.

For Next Wave, we commit to and celebrate the chance to turn the spotlight away from us and the East coast, and shine it on this territory and its people who we consider, are already light years ahead of us in using the practice of using care to curate artful experiences for their local community.

The lady at the samosa shop tells me - they’ve never seen the Darwin festival here, it’s so good that this time, they’ve come to us.  Usually we are too busy cooking early in the mornings and closing late at night to enjoy the festival.  When Britt Guy walks through the Rapid Creek markets the stallholders know her by name and the landlord trusts her with his only set of keys. This is the kind of relationally led care that Next Wave looks up to and is privileged to work with.

It strikes me that if you want to find tangible examples of how to curate with care, you don’t need to look very far at all. Perhaps start by listening to your own birdsong. I don’t have anything new to tell you that isn’t already happening in your communities, and today alone if proof of that.  Care is local, and it begins with how you treat, see and hear one another. It begins with where you are in Time and Place.

A mantra often cited during our time here was Pauline Oliveros’ phrase “walk so silently that the bottom of your feet become ears.” It’s such a hard thing to do.  To fall silent, to step back.  To look. To listen.  Once you truly begin to listen to each other, and to your independent artists, you’ll never stop.  You’ll be fucked mate!”

Nisha Madham - Lead Creative Producer - Next Wave