Yesterday I had the privilege of running a workshop at Bowral's new Ngununggula Regional Gallery. We had a small group of poets who were keen to develop some of their lines and learn some ways into crafting their lines. It was a pleasure to be there on the penultimate day of Rosie Deacon's and Ken Done's show.
We began with a walk through the exhibition and some time to write in response to the paintings / sculptures, or time to sit outside and note the slant of the day. Slowly, some lines came and were crafted and shaped in the early work of a poem. Time and patience and guidance by some notes from experienced poets saw a few of our lines come to life—saw some of them start to dig below the veneer of the day towards something deeper.
I want to thank Megan Monte, Jodie Swan and Ben Quilty for their help in setting up the workshop. Ngununggula is a Highlands landmark in its own right, a treasure many years in the making, but something that has given so much back to our community already. Thank you!