KINnected
KINnected has been developed over the past three years by Kaiela Arts’ Senior Creative in Residence Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta/Wamba Wemba/Wurundjeri) and senior creative, curator and writer Belinda Briggs (Yorta Yorta/Wemba Wemba), with support from the Kaiela Arts team.
Since 2024, three KINnected Camps and a range of bush trips have been held on-Country, in important cultural and historic places that convey a sense of Ancestral spirituality and our Yorta Yorta continuum.
“For me, KINnected is validation of years of practice – that is the value of creating a space like this with mob, for mob, sharing, creating, building inspiration, trust and relationships. It is critical. It strengthens and nurtures spirituality, Aboriginality, Identity, self worth, self confidence, bonds between people. It provides benefits and growth, and new knowledge that will show itself and evolve over time holistically… Aboriginal ways, human ways…”
— Lyn Thorpe (Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wamba), Kaiela Arts Senior Creative in Residence
KINnected camps and bush trips bring together our Elders, creatives and families from across generations, to connect with and pay respect to spirituality, Ancestors and Country.
Through sharing stories, knowledge and family histories, creative and cultural practices, and collaborative, experiential art-making, KINnected creates space and time for our People to work together, restoring our collective cultural strengths, our knowledge systems, and our connections to Ancestral Country and each other.
“KINnected has helped ground me and has allowed me the opportunity to intentionally slow down and participate in cultural, creative and critical thinking which is so important in the current times. Especially our younger generations, we need opportunities to open up space, to come together with our old people, to learn and capture their knowledge before it’s too late.”
— Chloe Jones (Yorta Yorta), Kaiela Arts Curator & Gallery Manager, young artist
Away from the demands of institutional structures and the distractions of daily life, it strengthens these connections as a foundation to nurture, sustain and maintain our Identities, our Nanyak. Nanyak, who we are and where we come from, sits at the heart of our cultural arts practices and protocols, carrying forward our Ancestral stories and our ways of knowing, being, seeing and doing.
Passing this on to future generations is critical, and KINnected is a vehicle for reclaiming power, embedding cultural protocols in our creative practice and enriching our spirit, our hearts and our minds.
“When family and mob get together it is usually for Sorry business. Through KINnected we came together as one to share and learn new skills and stories. It also gave us the opportunity to reconnect as each of us are separated by the need to make a living to support ourselves and family.
It is important to share cultural practices and to pass on these family and cultural histories which empower us by the knowing of them. This knowledge keeps us strong in our culture and wellbeing. My highlight for this gathering is in the sharing of my knowledge and skills in possum skin cloak making. I feel that this is my cultural obligation.”
— Glennys Briggs (Yorta Yorta, Taungurung, Wiradjuri, Palawa), Kaiela Arts senior Elder and creative
