Sinsa-Jo Mansell’s Reflections…

It all started with the incredible opportunity to go to New York and participate as the Tasmanian Delegate in both the First Nations Dialogue in International Indigenous Performing Arts, and the International Society for the Performing Arts Forum.

The forum had a set focus on industry, the sector with all of the Commonwealth countries - Asia, Canada, Africa – attending. Partnerships already existed between the Commonwealth countries, and it was clear we were in a time of First Nations work being highly sort after. Collectively we acknowledged and delved into the need for development of protocols and culturally appropriate systems to support our industry, our organisations and our creatives. It was an extraordinary opportunity and an honour to be chosen to represent Tasmania and I felt validation of a lot of the work I had already done in the performing arts sector. I don’t think I would have had the confidence to attend alone had I not already had strong relationships with other mob from the industry across Australia who were in attendance.

My time in New York was self-guided and with two conferences to attend, I was mindful of managing my time to create an identity for our Tasmanian Aboriginal Performing Arts sector. Through networking, I met Mariaa Randall, a First Nations Bundjalung Yalanji woman. We discovered synergies in the way we worked and connected strongly only to later reconnect when I engaged Mariaa as a dramaturg on the first development of Back in 2019. Whilst I was in New York, I applied for the TasPerforms Artistic Residency. I was accepted and went on to attend the residency, taking with me Back, a seed idea. The Tarraleah residency connected me with more creatives and support to go on and develop my idea. Back went on to become the first ever solo production created by a Palawa woman as the key creator, performer and director.

My mentorship continued back at home. I was supported to attend the Darwin Festival exposing me further to networks within the creative industries and festivals space and undertook the 12-month Milperanga Leadership Program. These experiences continued to expand my network to national leaders in Indigenous arts, and directors of Indigenous content within festivals. Post Milperanga, I was selected to be the opening keynote for the National Regional Arts Alliance conference held at Parliament house Canberra in 2019. I opened the conference and proudly spoke about our history, my family, Cape Barron Island, suppression, assimilation of culture and the importance of arts and culture for First Nations people.

In the final element of my mentorship, I worked directly with Salamanca Arts Festival Director, Emma Porteous. With Emma, I co-produced Eyes As Big As Plates. I managed and brokered the network and relationships with community members that were part of the project, and the site logistics. I have continued a solid working relationship with Emma and have gone on to work closely with her in a collaborative context.  

As a single mother on Centrelink, it is only through being supported that I have been able to participate in these opportunities whilst managing home, family and normal living costs. I think I’ve always been a performer. I was the little girl at the Flinders St train station playing the recorder. I remember the pivotal moment being when the youth worker from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre invited me to assist in writing a song. He spontaneously asked me to get up and sing it with him at Putalina. I remember feeling the rest of the world almost dissolved. I was extremely nervous but so proud of myself that I got up and achieved something I didn’t know was achievable. 

I was fifteen when I first worked at the TAC in the language department. We were asked to write some language songs for the kids. We chose native animals to tell songs and played with putting dances to the songs and stories. We made a special place we would go to and spend our weekends and make dance. We would perform at J Block, Brooks High School, across from the Education Department and then moved into festivals. 

Uncle Jimmy, Danny Gardner, Nathan Maynard and I did a project called Claiming Cultures. It was a project investigating historical documentation on cultural dance. My heart was ignited from the things we found. For me my knowledges have been sought from pages. Now for my kids, they have been handed and lived their knowledges. So I’ve continued performing. I didn’t know, even 5 years ago, that I would be doing what I’m doing now. I have been a creative producer for years, in the last 5 years though, the progression and learning and exposure have expanded and broadened that from performance to production to larger scale residency.

What drives me… Arts & culture… I don’t like those two words. To me arts & culture are community, it is healing. Predominately, working with institutions and organisations is really about broadening awareness. Arts and culture sit across all industries and economics. I’m driven by what it means for us, what it means for our ancestors and the desire for a healthy life. Anything I do, any space I inhabit, it’s all about this and the future. Supporting others to up-skill, getting our mob professionally ready to inhabit spaces and create legacies. It is like going back in time to build healthier, more sustainable societies across our communities and the globe.

I had an opportunity to take two Pakana Kanaplila dancers to LA where I met a woman who was so astounded at what I had achieved in 15 years that she asked and wrote a thesis about me. It took me to travel to the other side of the world, to meet this woman, to reflect and acknowledge on all that I had indeed done in those years. I now have a long list of the extraordinary opportunities that have come out from simply attending and being exposed nationally and then internationally. The ripple effect has been significant for me, across the sector on a state, national and international level.  

Walantanalinany Palingina has made this possible.