Unique series of live online events to showcase Australian artists living in Germany with donations going to support Indigenous literacy

Hamburg, 28 August, 2020 – In these times of lockdowns, travel restrictions and major health concerns, music, books and other artistic forms help people cope with difficulties and handle challenges. The COVID-19 crisis has also resulted in artists being unable to tour and many people around the world being unable to travel home.

Now, two Australian artists based in Hamburg are kicking off a series of “words and music” events – to share their creative work, show solidarity for the difficult circumstances we are all facing and raise money for the Indigenous Literary Foundation.

“We're very grateful to be receiving support from Australians living overseas. This fundraiser shows us that our vision on equity of opportunity resonates with all Australians, no matter where they are, and that all children deserve to have books that reflect their families and culture,” said Karen Williams AO, Executive Director, Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

The series starts on 12 September at 13:00, Germany time (21:00, Melbourne time), with Joel Havea and Campbell Jefferys. Campbell will read from his book ‘Rowan and Eris’, while Joel will play the music from the book’s original soundtrack, which he wrote in character as Rowan Davidson. A representative from the Australian Embassy Berlin will provide a brief introductory greeting for the event that will be shown live on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RZiCp6SqXVY

Germany has long been a popular destination for Australian artists, who find fresh perspectives and tap into the country’s creative energy in thriving cultural cities like Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. It’s a trend that can be traced back to 1982, when Nick Cave lived in West Berlin, and perhaps even further than that.

‘Rowan and Eris’, by award-winning Perth writer Campbell Jefferys, is a road-trip novel about a musician who goes searching for the daughter he never knew he had. The book’s soundtrack ‘One Hand Clapping’ was written by Melbourne musician Joel Havea, who will perform the songs that align with the reading excerpts. Joel and Campbell will also discuss how living in Germany has impacted their creativity.

The series will continue with selected “words and music” events running every month to showcase the incredible array of Australian musicians and writers based in Germany. The free events will last about an hour and be streamed live on the platform of the artist’s choice, with a recording of the show placed on the Rippple Media YouTube channel. All events will be promoted and tagged using #australianartistsingermany, #aussiewordsandmusic and #supportindigenousliteracy.

There is also scope for the project to be expanded to include Australian writers and musicians based in other countries.

Cam Jefferys
Rippple Media
Hopfen Strasse 8
20359 Hamburg
wave@rippplemedia.com
+49 176 6682 5240

Rippple Media is all about the electric buzz of finding something new and different. We want to tell you stories you’ve never heard or seen before, and without all the watering down and generification. That’s why there are three P’s in Rippple: they stand for producer to public publishing, because we want to share great stories directly with our readers, viewers and listeners

This release was published on openPR.