A new play is making its world premier at the Substation in Newport.
Empty Seat is a new company in the Australian theatre scene, and will be presenting ‘Akaraka’ written by Amarachi.
Director Effie Nkrumah said the play grapples with themes of identity and the challenges faced by migrants through a young Nigerian woman living in contemporary Australia.
“The time has come for us to prove the nuances in Australian communities, the ones that have fallen through the gaps of visibility,” she said.
“In a bid to address this, my storytelling practice is founded on memory and the archive, atop which sits the stories of continental West Africans in diaspora.
“Akaraka speaks to each of these perfectly, visibility, memory, West Africa it’s in the name, it’s destiny.”
Co-founder and producer Ruby Duncan said support is needed for stories like Akaraka.
“As someone who is not from a CALD background, it is imperative that those of us from the dominant culture invest our passion and support behind incredible stories,” she said.
“Allyship, supporting culturally safe spaces, and not layering that pressure primarily on those representatives of the culture, is vital to change and growth in our industry.
“Empty Seat was born out of a desire to ensure diverse, Australian work always had a space to thrive and change lives.
“It’s incredible to see that take shape with Akaraka at The Substation.”
Akaraka is funded by Creative Australia, Creative Victoria and Hobsons Bay council.
The play will open on Wednesday, March 20, and run through to October.
