A New Voice

“I don't know what a project like this means to the broader disabled community but to Brotherhood Of The Wordless it means being heard, it means being seen,” David Stavanger, a friend of the group (and for this outing their project manager, and editor), begins. “[To them] it means being seen as artists in their own right,” he continues. “That was the underlying principle of our work together: this is not just a community arts project designed to elicit sympathy. It had to stand up on its own legs, as art.”

Approached in 2008 by the group to perform a set for them as his alter-ego Ghostboy, Stavanger and Brotherhood Of The Wordless began collaborating soon after and have been “…[workshopping] and creating spoken-word and cabaret shows [together] ever since.”

Launching at the State Library this week, the fruit of their most recent coactions is an omnibus of the Brotherhood's poetry called Air For The Birds/Big Thoughts From The Frightened Well. Under Stavanger's tuition, their verse will be brought to life through music, as the Brotherhood's members will perform an aided recital of select pieces. “I think the world needs more projects [like this] from artists with a different view and experience of the world,” Stavanger says. “Since my work with BOTW, Arts Queensland have become aware of the project and they [in turn] are being studied as a best practice model by a big arts research project in Victoria. Translating this to actual funding is the big thing – as it is for all artists.”

As the book's editor, spoken-word artist Stavanger had to put aside his own, strong aesthetic inclinations, and really worked to hone and connect the unique voices within Brotherhood. “It was extremely challenging on a number of levels,” he explains. “The guys all want to be heard on their own terms, and they all have very distinct voices – my job was to see that happen but also get them to produce quality and complete work. I often have to edit phrasing and composition on the page because the facilitation process is more linear without line breaks. However, all the guys read their work (via their facilitator) at the workshops so I hear the intent and original piece as well as reading them all after. The back and forth editorial process can be hard when we meet once a month, and there is no direct verbal communication and limited email in between. One [particular] challenge was creating a narrative and thematic arc to the shows and now the book – it had to hold together as a whole and engage the reader throughout rather than hang its coat on a couple of strong pieces. And reading it now, it does.”

But, being the insistent spirit he is, Air For The Birds/Big Thoughts From The Frightened Well isn't completely bereft of the Ghostboy personality. “Working with BOTW allows me to take what I do with Ghostboy and shoot an arrow straight into the heart of it,” he explains. “They are both peers, students and part of my strange extended sense of family.”