This weekend, Riverside Theatres will present a new performance work by Australian artist Kaz Therese, ‘Sleeplessness’.
The work, which fuses drama and documentary, is a radically honest and empathetic look at three generations of women in the artist’s family, in an effort to recover a history that had been erased, Kaz said.
“I grew up not knowing my family history,” they said.
“My mother had her whole childhood memory erased. Apart from a photo of my grandmother sitting on my mother’s mantel, there were no other details about what happened to this woman, and why we didn’t know more. I couldn’t sleep from not knowing and became obsessed with trying to recreate an archive for my family that didn’t exist. I thought I could stitch back the body of my family through art, and in doing so I found a story that I feel most Australians can relate to.”
This story, they said, is one that although is so common, is rarely heard about, and shines a light on the Forgotten Australians, highlighting the impact of institutionalisation on Australian children.
‘Sleeplessness’ will be on at Riverside Theatre in Parramatta on Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20. Tickets start at $39. For more information, visit riversideparramatta.com.au.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.