Artist Feature
Q & A with Henrietta Baird
Henrietta Baird is from the Kuku Yalanji people in Far North Queensland, and now resides in Sydney. She is a Diploma graduate of NAISDA Dance College. Henrietta explores movement based on the methods of collecting, preparing and applying traditional plants to make medicine, telling stories and preserving cultural knowledge through dance. Baird has performed in many notable productions across Australia with Tess De Quincey Company, Viki Van-Hout, and Marilyn Miller. Henrietta performed in Mariaa Randall’s work, “Divercity” at APAM, Dance Massive, Adelaide Festival and performed at the 2019 Dance Massive Festival directed by Mariaa Randall where she created “Stories”, a choreographic collaboration with four other women artists in an installation at the Meat Market in Melbourne. Henrietta is also part of the Indigenous Education team at Barangaroo, Australia where she leads tours about native bush plants and the history of the Sydney people.
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What are the points of interest that drive your creative practices?
Interests are looking at Plants and finding a way to teach people about my culture through preservation but also to love and look after country. Then brings stories to life using the information from Plants to create a dance score.
What inspired you to create Protocols, the piece you are bringing to Matriarchs Uprising?
Inspiration stemmed from a mentorship I did in 2014 with Critical Path. I went home to research native plants and look at how we make medicine. From that a story evolved which I was interested in and I went from there. This led into locking at Cultural protocols.
How did you meet your collaborators? Tell us about your collaborative process.
Working with Maria has been amazing. I have learnt a lot from her and also to collaborate we still believe we are the same but different. All our stories need to be told in whatever art form we see fit.
What do you want to communicate or offer to audiences through your work?
Looking at our culture and to tell stories that are important. You just don’t know who will relate to your work and be inspired by it. Also in terms of Cultural protocols is their cultural Lore’s/Practices evolving?
Who is an Indigenous role model of yours? How do they inspire you?
Mariaa is great role model. She believes in what we do as Indigeous women and tries hard to get us and our work out there. Vicky Van Hout, choreographer I worked for, for 10 years. I have learnt a lot as well but also to try and think outside the box and push boundaries any type of boundaries.
Is there a traditional teaching that you most identify with?
I am an Education Officer at Barangaroo which is the new Urban Sustainable site. I have just gone into learning management, but from that I believe I want to teach kids about the importance of looking after country and staying connected to culture, fishing, plants Medicine, Making Baskets and keep that going.
What is coming up next for you?
Divercity with Mariaa and DubaiKungkaMiyalk in Edmonton and Vancouver. I also wrote a script The Weekend which is being shown in Australia in June so I want to see how that goes. There’s also reading here at the Talking Stick Festival by first nations women from Vancouver — Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2pm – SFU Woodwards
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Keep Learning and creating you never know where your work will take you. Keep telling your stories because they are important and need to be heard.
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Don’t miss the chance to see Henrietta’s work, Protocols in Matriarchs Uprising: Program 1 on Friday, February 21st 730pm at The Cultch.
All Matriarchs Uprising guest artists will be in dialogue at Talking Truths: A Circle Conversation hosted by Raven Spirit Dance on Saturday, February 22nd 1pm-2pm at Skwachàys Lodge.