As January 26th approaches, the conversation surrounding changing the date of ‘Australia Day’ has become even more heated and indeed crucial than ever. Recently, NITV and SBS, in conjunction with a line up of noted Australian hip hop artists, came together to explore different perspectives and opinions of the national holiday, culminating in a one-of-a-kind collaboration, entitled “Change the Date”.
“It’s Invasion Day,” Birdz comments. “It’s a day that I’ve never celebrated, my family’s never celebrated. It’s a day of mourning and it’s a day to stand up and be heard and speak about injustice, just like every other day. As I’ve gotten older, if there’s anything to celebrate, it’s survival.”
“For me, January 26 is a day of acknowledging and recognising that it’s a day of mourning.” L-FRESH The LION has added. “Invasion Day, Survival Day. Understanding what happened in the past, particularly what it’s meant for Indigenous people, not just in the past, but today and moving forward. Recognising my position in contemporary Australia as well, as having benefited from our dark history as a nation and trying to come to terms with how I can be a positive person for healing and what I can also do to also educate my community on that day.”
Filmed and brought to life online by Sydney’s Start VR, the 360 degree music video goes in and brings the viewer closer to these impassioned performers, the line up of which includes Tuka and Jeswon of Thundamentals, Hau, Coda Conduct, Urthboy, Birdz, Ozi Batla, Nooky, Kaylah Truth, L-FRESH The LION and Tasman Keith.
You can view the final product below and also stay up today with NITV’s #AlwaysWillBe work via their Facebook page.
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