THE Bilya project: Ni! Derbyl Yerrigan Waanginy (Listen! The Swan River is Speaking) is a 15-week, artists-in-residence program at Bassendean Primary and Governor Stirling Senior High schools.

Focusing on a sensory narrative about the Swan River, the program will bring together Noongar elders, professional artists, and environmental scientists to create a public presentation of immersive, site-specific, performance installations and digital stories.

“Governor Stirling SHS students will be work-shopping a wide variety of creative media with Bassendean PS students; from film and photography, sculpture, music, augmented reality and animation,” Governor Stirling arts media coordinator Michelle Hall said.

“Bassendean PS is a feeder primary school for Governor Stirling SHS, so strengthening relationships between the schools and in the community has been an important priority.’’

Bassendean PS arts teacher and co-director Kylie Barr said in 2021, Bassendean PS students had asked the community ‘What story can you tell?’

“The Bilya project combines cross cultural ecological knowledge, environmental science, visual arts and digital storytelling with music, language and song to capture a myriad of local stories from the past and present to reflect on how we work, live and play on and beside the Swan River,” she said.

“The project will culminate in a twilight interactive art installation at the two school sites.

“Join us at Governor Stirling Senior High School on Thursday, November 23 and at Bassendean Primary School on Friday, December 1.”

The project was made possible through a $60,000 grant from the Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) creativity for schools program.