Review (Georgia Haupt): Native Tongue

Review and photography by Georgia Haupt

Presented by Vanessa Gordon | The Paint Factory, Yeronga | Brisbane Anywhere Festival

Native Tongue offers something increasingly rare in our hurried world: the simple, profound act of sitting and truly listening. This gorgeous evening of storytelling creates space for voices sharing journeys that span generations, all connected by the thread of how they came to call Queensland home.

Vanessa Gordon leads the evening with grace, weaving her own poetry between speakers while allowing each story to breathe and resonate. No two narratives are alike. Some of the speakers explore the idea that home exists wherever you are, others examine the experience of existing across multiple places simultaneously, while others reflect on legacy and belonging.

What makes this collection so compelling is its resistance to easy summation. Rather than forcing a single theme, Gordon has curated an evening that celebrates the beautiful complexity of migration stories in all their diversity. The common thread isn’t a shared experience but a shared commitment to storytelling itself, particularly the vital act of passing stories between generations.

Each speaker generously shares pieces of their lineage, creating an intimate evening that leaves audiences with new perspectives and inevitable reflections on the gaps in their own family narratives. It’s storytelling that reminds us why these voices matter and why listening is both gift and responsibility.

Don’t miss your final chance to experience this collection of stories tonight – it’s a celebration of identity that will stay with you long after the last word is spoken.