Know Thy Neighbour #3 event: Yabini Kickett in East Fremantle

Yabini Kickett is currently working with the community of East Fremantle. This residency forms part of one of Spaced’s current programs, Know Thy Neighbour #3. 

Yabini Kickett (Esther McDowell) is a descendant of the Kickett and Hayden families of the Bibulmun/Noongar Nation. Her work deals with textiles and found objects, often with a focus on place and the solastalgia associated with the destruction of Country.

Birth, in all its forms, is a continuation of a legacy; a narrative about what once was, and glimpse at what could be to come. In a post-settler context of built developments, birth provides an avenue to interrogate our relationship with the changing environment around us. A Child Was Born Here pulls into focus the specific lived experiences in East Fremantle, and how its stories surrounding birth have contributed to the cultural memory of place.

Yabini Kickett is a multidisciplinary artist whose work draws from her experience of sostalgia – a longing for the recognition of home in Country, which as a Noongar Yok cannot be reconciled in the current ‘Australia’. Through her participation in Spaced’s Know Thy Neighbour #3 program, Kickett has been intrigued by the transformation that the neighbourhood has seen over its many generations of residents, and seeks a common medium through which to realise its historical and social significance with the community.

Facilitated by Aunty Geri Hayden, A Child Was Born Here invites you to engage in an open discussion about birth and place, and learn about Noongar practice which brings these concepts into in the wider setting of Whadjuk Noongar Bibulmun Country.

When: Sunday 11 December, 6.30 - 8PM

Where: John Tonkin Reserve, East Fremantle

All are welcome to join with a picnic. Attendance via RSVP is not required, however you can follow the Facebook event for most up to date details. 

Project credits:
Artist: Yabini Kickett
Partner: Town of East Fremantle
Commissioner: Spaced
Sound design and editing: Envelope Audio
Lighting design: Cara Teusner-Gartland
Lighting tech support: Nansen Robb

Photo by Lyndon Kickett-Edwards.

Explore our current programs

Know Thy Neighbour #3 (2021-23). Know Thy Neighbour #3 investigates notions of place, sites of interest, networks, and social relationships with partner communities.

Rural Utopias (2019-23). Rural Utopias is a program of residencies, exhibitions and professional development activities organised in partnership with 12 Western Australian rural and remote towns.