Birrala Nyina - My Approach
Indigenous-led Storytelling Practice
Sit Down Talk
What is Birrala Nyina
Birrala Nyina, meaning Sit Down Talk, is the foundation of how I work, create, and connect. It is not just a method, it is a way of being in relationship with people, with Country, and with story.
Birrala Nyina is about taking the time to sit together, to listen, and to allow stories to unfold in their own way and in their own time. It resists urgency and extraction, and instead centres care, presence, and respect. Through this process, storytelling becomes something lived and shared, not something taken or translated.
In my research and creative practice, Birrala Nyina guides everything, from how relationships are built, to how artworks are created, to how exhibitions are experienced. It creates space for stories to emerge through trust, connection, and community authority.
Core Values
At the heart of Birrala Nyina are values that shape both process and outcome:
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Trust
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Trust is built over time and through action. It means showing up with honesty, respect, and accountability, and allowing relationships to lead the work.
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Reciprocity
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Reciprocity is about giving back, sharing, and ensuring that collaboration is mutually meaningful. It recognises that knowledge is not taken—it is shared in relationship.
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Deep Listening
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Listening is central. It means slowing down, being present, and hearing what is spoken—and what is not. Deep listening allows stories to be guided by those who carry them.
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Community Authority
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Community voices lead. Decisions about stories, representation, and outcomes are grounded in cultural protocols and the knowledge of those connected to the stories.
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How It Works in Practice
Birrala Nyina is lived and expressed through the ways we gather, create, and share stories together.
Yarning Circles
Yarning circles create spaces for open, respectful storytelling and dialogue. They allow stories, knowledge, and experiences to be shared in ways that feel natural, relational, and culturally grounded.
On-Country Learning
Being on Country is essential. It is where stories live and where knowledge is held. Learning on Country allows relationships with land, water, and place to guide both creative and curatorial processes.
Collaborative Artmaking
Artmaking becomes a shared act of storytelling. Through practices such as weaving, textiles, ecoprint, puppetry, and other creative forms, stories are expressed collectively and held within the work itself.
Exhibition as Storytelling Space
Exhibitions are not just sites of display—they are spaces of story, encounter, and relationship. Through immersive environments, sound, moving image, and installation, audiences are invited to step into layered narratives shaped by community voices and lived experience.
Birrala Nyina reminds me that this work is not just about outcomes—it is about how we come together, how we listen, and how we carry stories forward with care.