Goodbye Aunty Flo - Ilbijerri

She has many names: Crimson Wave, Code Red, Bloody Mary, Girl Flu, Lady Curse, Aunty Flo… but there’s nothing to see here.

Meet Flo, the unwelcome Aunty everyone complains about, but who we depend on for our very existence.

You would think we’d be proud of this most significant Tidda - keeper of our divine feminine power - but we hide her away and talk about her in whispers, especially later on when she stops turning up altogether. This is her story, or is it?

A hilarious play created by mob for mob, exploring the ups and downs of the most natural stage in every woman’s life - menopause.

The story was developed by Nazaree Dickerson for ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, and was born out of real life experiences of First Nations women.

Background

In 2021, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company commissioned playwright Nazaree Dickerson, to write a play that captured women’s experiences of menopause. Nazaree undertook consultation in her local First Nations community and the broader Victorian community and the story was born out of conversations about this often misunderstood life transition.

The production of GOODBYE AUNTY FLO will integrate the many facets of menopause and the personal stories Nazaree uncovered, which allow for a better understanding of and comfort with this specific stage in life.

Little understood and often underestimated, menopause affects every woman directly and every family member indirectly. The play explores individual experiences and responses and seeks to empower women to make choices that minimise the negative impacts of menopause.

The creative team has been supported by health promotion experts, community health workers, and Community Elders, as well as engaging with Community to explore women’s business in relation to menopause. Two online women’s yarning circles took place, as well as an in-person women’s morning tea, weaving workshop, and creative development. GOODBYE AUNTY FLO team toured to metro and regional Victoria in the second half of 2022, promoting conversation about menopause and the show through women’s events that combine performance and yarning circles, to create engagement for the 2023 tour.

In 2023, GOODBYE AUNTY FLO toured to the following venues:

14 MARCH
KARRALYKA CENTRE
Ringwood

15 MARCH
NAIRM MARR DJAMBANA
Frankston

16 MARCH
CASEY GATHERING PLACE
Doveton

17 MARCH
KIRRIP ABORIGINAL CORP.
Melton South

17 MARCH
MUSIC MARKET,
Collingwood Yards

18 MARCH
ABORIGINAL
ADVANCEMENT LEAGUE
Thornbury

This project is supported by the Victorian Government via the Department of Health

CREATIVE TEAM

Writer Nazaree Dickerson

Artwork Winyarr's Perfect Imperfection, by Madison Connors of Yarli Creative 2022

Artwork Story

The transition through menopause is vastly different for everyone. However, due to our holistic view of health and well-being as Aboriginal people, menopause symptoms and management are viewed as a community response. We are not alone in our journeys and through this image I wanted to create a sense of community supporting a person's journey.

I created an abstract person in the bottom left hand corner out of three shapes, their hair is blue and flows to the top right-hand corner of the image. If you look closely at the three shapes, you will notice the person is learning over holding their legs and feeling alone. Though, throughout their hair is the symbols for people (the upside-down u-shape). These people are family, community and support systems. This represents a wraparound support system for the person who is experiencing their transition through menopause. In the middle of the artwork there are circles which represents the symbol for communities and these are connected by more circles. If you look closely, you will see that this represents the shape of a uterus.

There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful, than a person with a uterus being unapologetically themself; comfortable in their perfect imperfection.

- Madison Connors of Yarli Creative