Australian artists share culture with students

Two Art-in-Residents presenters for New Public School District 8 have been giving youngsters insights about Australia this week.

Aubrey and Martin Beggs of Long Jetty, New South Wales, have been offering a series of workshops at the Old Armory to bring their native country to life.

To show what they have learned, the children will give a musical and dance performance of Australian culture at 1 p.m. Friday at the Old Armory. The public is welcome to attend.

District 8 Students have been seeing demonstrations about traditional Aboriginal musical instruments such as the didgeridoo and clap sticks as well as native dances.

Aboriginal artwork, artifacts, maps, pictures, flags and other Australians have been part of the sessions. The young audiences will have the opportunity to participate in forming a bush band, to join in a simple folk songs and to learn an Aboriginal dance.

"It's called the Cultural Kaleidoscope, based in Kansas City. As a kaleidoscope, we have many facets - we have a Russian, a Ukrainian, an Irish and and we're the Australian Kaleidoscope," Martin explained. "We go to elementary schools, middle schools, junior highs and we present a program on Australia. The kids in Williston are going to be presenting a program Friday on typical Australian songs, dances, there will be some Aboriginal songs."

He added there will be some old English songs changed with Aboriginal words.

The visitors said the children's enthusiasm makes it worth it.

"The kids have been wonderful. Somewhere inside there, there is somebody who wants to learn," Martin commented.

Martin and Aubrey aim to give the students a well-rounded perspective of their country.

"Kids know Australia, but sometimes it's like a secret. Sometimes, they know the Crocodile Hunter, they know the Keith Urban as one of the country music stars," he said. "When they come to see us, they come to know the kangaroo is not the only marsupial in Australia. We have hundreds of them so we show them the animals. We sing the songs. We talk about Aboriginal culture. The kids get to see what our money looks like because it's different than theirs."

Martin said he hopes this experience seeds a bigger curiosity about the world around them.

"I would like them to get a little burn inside to travel, to visit, not only Australia, but to travel and experience the world."

The presenters have taken their own advice.

"Our biggest buzz is coming up here and seeing your country, seeing America. We've driven almost 10,000 miles from this tour. We've been from Arkansas to North Dakota. We've seen a lot of America. We get a lot of buzz going around seeing the country," Martin said.

Before coming here, they were in Dickinson.

"We've been in North Dakota about three weeks. "We've been to Arkansas to the middle of Missouri. We've been all over the Midwest," he said

Since childhood, both talented brothers have been involved in playing musical instruments and songwriting. They have performed with written music for some of the best-known musical groups in Australia. Over the years, they have been nominated for many prestigious awards. In 1999 and 2000, they were winners of the Australian Entertainment MO for the Variety Duo of the Year.

The two brothers highlighted the history of Australia, federated in 1901. They also discussed the ancient land of the indigenous Aboriginal people who have lived there for at least 40,000 years.

The residency program is funded through the North Dakota Council on the Arts and New Public School District 8.