“My son said to me “ How did you become human ?” I said “So that you could be born.”
My son said “No, I dreamed that once upon a time you were something else; a snake crawling through rock…”
Our three part recreation of Persephone’s story ( Dog, Heart and Wake ) has seen 12 variation performances since the Alice Springs quarry events, 2015 – she has told her stories in Santorini, Sydney, country Victoria, Portland Oregon, Perth, Canberra College of Drama, ANZSJA’s 2022 Congress, and the Gaia Then and Now/Climate series for the San Francisco Archive for Research into Archetypal Symbolism. We are continuing to carefully develop this Australian hybrid cultural work.
Jung’s symbolism of individuation and transformation drew upon his European sanctioned imagery traditions, ok - but why not reform our notions of ‘individuation’ in an Australian light. A light of many cultures, old and older still.
Persephone’s Heart is a transformation drama of female creative skill, generative genius, muscle, heart and brain, with shocks of desire and enduring compassion. Its conception owes much to our personal experiences in Central Australia and the effect of Australian realities upon some women we know who lived in remote and arid zones.
In this event we map the making of Persephone - we tell how, a ‘force of nature’ gathered a human body by crossing the country, a long time ago. We tell what we learned from taking an unusual shift in perspective on this myth; then open discussion with Dr. Anne Noonan and others.
“Well then - I will tell you the story of how I became a woman, and who is your father - so that you can be happy in the dark night and the hard light of day”
Craig San Roque has practiced Jungian Analytic Psychology for 40 years ( London, Sydney, Canberra and central Australia). A former president and co-director of training for ANZSJA. He has taught Anthropology/ Performance studies, Social Ecology and Jungian Cultural Psychology at University of Western Sydney. He is credited with many publications - including in – the recent and timely Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America and in Placing Psyche with Amanda Dowd and David Tacey. Also, the Sydney Jung Society book on climate change, The Green Book and graphic novels; A Long Weekend in Alice Springs and Sydney/ Purgatorio with Joshua Santospirito.
Persephone’s Wake belongs within a trilogy of community performance works, Persephone’s Dog and Persephone’s Heart
Miriam Pickard is a creatively alive performer and theatre director, known for her work with the innovative, prophetic, Canberra Chorus of Women music and performances on Climate Change, international Peace and generative feminine mythologies – (composed by Jungian analyst, Glenda Cloughley). Miriam also performs with ArtsACT events - notably her (wryly comic) solo pieces on Isis and Inanna. She developed the role for Persephone for the 2015 – 2017 Alice Springs and Santorini events; recently directing Persephone’s Dog for the Canberra College Drama Student graduation performances, 2020. See more about Miriam at Her Website (https://www.miriamjane.com)
You can buy tickets to Craig & Miriam’s presentation here.
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Date: 9th September 2022 at 7.00 pm
Venue: Zoom
Cost: Members $Free Non-Members $20 Non-Member
Concession $15
*Psychotherapists and other practitioners can obtain credit for Professional Development hours recognised by PACFA and ACA for this presentation.