Brook Andrew – Banjo
by campbelltownartscentre
Edge of Elsewhere is excited to present a series of production sketches from a major new work, Banjo, by Australian artist, Brook Andrew.
Since the first stage of Edge of Elsewhere, Andrew has worked in close partnership with Campbelltown Arts Centre and Hong Kong based animation company, Imagi Studios, to produce an original and innovate animation. Essentially a children’s ghost story, Banjo, addresses issues of Aboriginal customs and histories of cultural disruption.
The story of Banjo and his friends starts with the protagonist’s journey in 1970s Western Sydney, to the past of 1910 in Western New South Wales and Broome, Western Australia. The adventure follows Banjo and his dragonfly friend, Ngalan, on a tale through dreams and time. It is a story of love and sadness, filled with knowing animal spirits, historical truths, and a deep family secret; spanning from oceans to an inland river and a gravesite.
The project is the result of intensive research undertaken by Andrew into his own personal history, along with work in the public archives of Australia including the Berndt Museum, Universtiy of Western Australia, and the J.S. Battye Library, Perth.
