ASYLUM
Music: Hope Where There Was None
(On some headphones this can take a little bit of time for the sound to start.)
Music: Primal
THE CONVERSATION – Where the art and music began
The conversation takes on a serious tone as Andrew and Jaq discuss the refugee crisis in Australia.
They wanted to create an artwork that would help bring about more empathy and understanding. And also to build on their own understanding.
They met with Jeffah Thabach, who kindly and generously shared his story
Born in South Sudan, Jeffah Thabach was separated from his parents at the age of six. Alone at that incredibly vulnerable age, he was forced into a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He spent 22 years in various camps, and despite his incredibly difficult childhood, he worked to gain an education.
Jeffah is now a Project Officer at the Centre for Multicultural Youth in Victoria and a father of six. Much of his work involves working against racial profiling and helping people carve out a new identity and way of life in Australia…as he did when he arrived as a refugee.
THE MUSIC
Album track 6: Hope where there is none
Years in a refugee camp with no end in sight. This track begins very softly; some headphones may not register much for a short while . . .
Album track 1: Primal
A celebration of ancestry and a new beginning
THE ART
Asylum
Oil on canvas, 156 x 90cm
Behind the bars of the camp fence, Jeffah maintains dignity and hope. Jeffah’s traditional costume is a tribute to his heritage and culture.
Credits: Thanks to Simon Dalton for sharing his experience working at teh Asylum Resource Centre and introducing Andrew and Jaq to Jeffah And of course, thank to Jeffah Thabach for sharing his story. Credit: Co-producer - Lachlan Batterham