Con Colleado NAIDOC High Wire Event in Lismore a Hit

By Kate Coxall

Over the weekend, people from all corners of the Northern Rivers community were in attendance as a spectacular premiere performance had everyone laughing one minute, and holding their breath the next, while incredible performers from across the country, performed their NAIDOC Week show, with some so high up on the high wire, they appeared to be walking on the tree tops!

Presented by Seed Arts, and held at The Quad, Lismore, the Xrossing premiered during NAIDOC week and saw some of Australia’s best professional wire walkers undertake a series of breathtaking wire walks on 60m long tightwires, suspended high above the Lismore Quad.

Advertisements

Opening the show was a Welcome to Country by Uncle Gilbert Laurie, with another local Northern Rivers Custodian, Jarmbi offering his art, in the form of poetry and also incorporated a speaker from Con’s very own family-Deb Hescott.

Created by an incredible team of local and interstate Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Artists, the Xrossing honours the little-known story of Con Colleano, born Lismore 1899 to a Gamilaroi Mother and Irish Father, who became the greatest wire walker of all time.

According to the event organisers “The Xrossing celebrates this unsung hero of Lismore and examines Colleano’s legacy of being the first to achieve the impossible front somersault on the wire, a feat which brought him incredible fame, recognition and wealth.”

“The show features multi-level wire walking, and original score by local Indigenous producer Mr Rhodes, live music from the Northern Rivers Conservatorium Youth Jazz Orchestra and breathtaking artistry from professionals and community members alike.”

The event was supported by The Koori Mail, We Al-li, Australia Council for the Arts, Create NSW, Regional Arts Australia (Regional Arts Fund), Lismore City Council, Lismore Quad, Northern Rivers Conservatorium and Arts Northern Rivers.

Con is known as the “greatest tightwire artist of all time, the Australian Wizard of the Wire” who performed around the world for no less than high profile figures such as Mussolini, who was so impressed by his performance, he gave him a medal and Adolf Hitler who awarded him a German passport for his talents.”

The performance was free to all, and the community made sure to show up, packing out the Quad to watch.

Across the Bundjalung Nation of the Northern Rivers there were events every day this year for NAIDOC week, with this year’s theme “For Our Elders” being proudly displayed and spoken in all.

Weaving, marching, watching, listening, dancing and celebrating happened from young and old, with each Council holding an event, and many language groups holding their own special events, such as the Arakwal Screening of NAIDOC Short films by Flickerfest at the Byron Theatre. There was also a meeting of Murris and Koori’s, the Traditional Custodians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from Queensland, and those from our Countries, here in NSW, meeting in a powerful demonstration of unity, at the Tweed Heads, Queensland Border.

Read more on local entertainment here.