Key Points
- 'Diwa' tells the story of four strangers who come together and share how they have created a sense of community for their love of work.
- Commissioned and supported by Australian Plays Transform and Performing Lines, the documentary theatre work 'Diwa' shares the stories of four Filipino community leaders, including Alfred Nicdao, Melba Marginson and Norminda Forteza.
- Artists Teresa Tate Britten, Tamara Lee Bailey, John Gomez Goodway and Nova Raboy give life to the narratives of the four leaders featured in 'Diwa'.
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'Diwa' weaves together four narratives of Filipino community leaders, to create a captivating sense of community
36:25
Filipino diaspora
"As the third Asian diaspora in Australia, at some point throughout your day, you will walk past a Filipino person who will hold a story and I always thought we're just looking through these stories," highlights Jordan Shea.
The Sydney-based writer, who is also an Educator, points out that with the huge number of Filipinos in Australia, each has a different story that could have changed the community.
"The world is made up of people who changed the world and through going all around the country I was able to discover that that's true."
At the end of June 2022, there are 320,300 Filipino-born people were living in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is the fifth-largest migrant community in the country.
Even before his latest documentary theatre work, Shea has been creating stories that exemplify the stories of Filipino migrants in Australia.
Writer Jordan Shea (right, in black shirt), with director Kenneth Moraleda (second from right) and the 'Diwa' actors. Credit: Samuel Webster via Jordan Shea (Facebook)
'Diwa'
Inspired by the stories he heard from his travels across Australia, Shea was inspired and wrote 'Diwa' which tells the stories of four Filipino community leaders, a slice of the many stories of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Land Downunder.
"In 2022, I travelled across Australia to interview community leaders who have created a community through their love of work."
Shea continues to "aim to make epitopes for the [Filipino] community, by the community and performed by the community."
"It is a theatre piece shown on April 19 in Sydney and was developed with the support of Australian Plays Transform and Performing Lines."
Before their one-day show, they had a three-day development of the play with the support of Create NSW.
Multi-disciplinary Australian-Filipina artist, Tamara Lee Bailey (right), and artist Nova Raboy (left) with Jordan Shea. Credit: SBS Filipino
The talents
“We know that we have a lot of stories to tell and share with the whole world and not just in Australia," says Nova Raboy.
"Stories of Filipinos who migrated [in Australia]. The different challenges and struggles that people went through and their lives now in this new country."
The mum-of-one and emerging artist from Sydney is proud to be part of the latest theatre work.
“The explosion of talents [of Filipinos in Australia] is just incredible, from new to emerging and seasoned artists, and I am just so proud to be part of it."
Artists Tamara Lee Bailey, Teresa Tate Britten and John Gomez Goodway, along with actor Amanda Magpulong were part of the play as directed by Kenneth Moraleda with assistant Direction from Aubrey Flood and Rizcel Gagawanan. Dramaturgy by How Ngean Lim.
'Diwa' cast and productions during one of the three days of story development sessions in Sydney. Credit: Samuel Webster via Jordan Shea (Facebook)
Real people
Bailey, Britten, Gomez and Raboy gave life to the stories of four Filipino community leaders including Victorians Melba Marginson, Alfred Nicdao, and Norminda Forteza.
Melba Marginson has an extensive association with many advocacy organisations for migrant women and refugees, some of which she has pioneered. In July 2000, Melba was appointed one of three new Commissioners of the Victorian Multicultural Commission.
Veteran actor Alfred Nicdao is the first Filipino who was part of the Australian television, He is known for his roles in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and Tomorrow When the War Began.
Norminda Forteza is dedicated to her works which benefits many seniors in particular those with dementia and women victims of domestic violence.
Aspirations
Multi-disciplinary artist Tamara Lee Bailey plays as "Karl", a member of the NSW Police Force. The character is a combination of different people and he did a fund-raising for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan - the strongest typhoon ever recorded to hit the Philippines in 2013.
"It's exciting to hear and share his story. It's so different from who I am that's why it's such a privilege to stand in his shoes but see the impact he has made in Australia that often goes unseen," fondly shares Bailey.
"It's so enriching to go to the psyche of these characters of real people and these are real Filipino Australian stories that resonate so much with me, to my experience growing up."
Writer Jordan Shea hopes that after their only one-day theatre show, someone - a producer - will draw interest in showing the play in Australia and across the world.
