Cirrus@Austlit

'In this iterative writing and walking project, we have been making space to ask questions of each other about caring for Country, to share conversations about climate change, and to remind ourselves of the love that keeps us present. We start with an anecdote, usually shared while walking together on Gadigal/Bidgigal Land along the Cooks River; we live on either side of the river and have been walking together for many years. We take turns both to propose prompts for writing and directions for our walks responding to what we’ve encountered- mangroves, casuarinas, or for this essay, dingoes. Our walks in the catchment have also included following Papaya, Banana and Dragonfruit Trees through Marrickville and rowing and walking the river.'  (Introduction)

'As the ethics of punishment are debated in mainstream media, statistics, images and unanswerable questions circulate. Post sentence detention of terrorists and the fate of Indigenous children in detention are just two of the issues Australia is currently grappling with.'

'When these discussions play out in a theatre, different questions are raised. The Chat, which recently completed its Melbourne season, shows the ways theatre can enrich the discourse around issues relating to the criminal justice system. It focuses on the liminal space of parole, at the edge of freedom and prison, where a prisoner’s connections to society – so brutally damaged during incarceration – can begin to repair. ...'