MEERTA: Rise Up! The Ballad of James Arden

MEERTA: Rise Up! The Ballad of James Arden brings together a deadly team of artists led by accomplished singer-songwriter David Arden. MEERTA is a creative musical performance of powerful truth-telling and warm heartfelt theatre. MEERTA: Rise Up! The Ballad of James Arden tells the story of Dave’s Great Grandfather James Arden, and the Gunditjmara People– a story of identity, urban and tribal life, friendship, repatriation, racism, freedom and fighting for your rights. MEERTA is an opportunity for audiences to learn firsthand about First Nations, people and history. MEERTA’s songs and visuals tell the story of The Arden family and the Gunditjmara People. In 1916, Dave’s Great Grandfather James Arden made a stand for Gunditjmara people, to fight for their rights, against the missionaries and the station manager who controlled the movement of the Gunditjmara tribe, he was an activist of his time. He was a tribal man born on the lands of Gariwerd, where his lore, his dreaming, and his cultural ways and traditional country were important to his identity. He was taken from his country to Lake Condah and Framlingham missions. Stories like James Arden's must be told.