We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which this work took place and pay our deepest respects to their Elders past and present. We honour the Cabrogal people of the Darug Nation, the Quandamooka people of Moreton Bay and Minjerribah, the Worimi people, and the Gumbaynggirr people of the Mid North Coast, including communities across Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour. We also recognise the Bulagan community and their ongoing work in language and cultural revitalisation. We extend our respect to all First Nations Elders, knowledge holders, and community leaders who continue to care for Country, culture, and community, and who generously share their stories, language, and wisdom.
Sovereignty was never ceded. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders - please with care we advise that content may contain images, voices, or names of deceased persons.
From Marian Abboud, Director of Multilingual Programming, Think+DO Tank Foundation, with deep respect and discovery
“Being part of this exchange has reaffirmed something I deeply believe in: language is more than words… its identity, memory, resilience, and belonging. What we participated in was a living practice and it inspires everything we do.”
Think+DO Tank Foundation been developing a meaningful cultural exchange between Fairfield and Coffs Harbour for over 2 years, aimed at connecting migrant and refugee communities across two major settlement areas. Guided by First Nations Elders, artists, and community leaders from Cabrogal to Gumbaynggirr Country. Focused on deepening community connection, facilitating language exchange, and supporting cultural revitalisation. The residency rooted us in land and First Nations histories, while also connecting us with communities whose values align with ours.
This year, in collaboration with Quandamooka artist Megan Cope from Moreton Bay/Minjerribah, TDTF supported myself alongside colleagues Helen Guliana, Sama Saba, Maryam Mansoor, and community connections Christie Duong, and Emma Hartbridge on a journey from Fairfield to Coffs in the TDTF People Movers 12-seater bus. We carried our curiosity, our hope to learn, and a desire to forge new friendships. This artist-community residency anchored us in land, culture, and shared histories. It felt as though we were planting roots in places that, while unfamiliar, welcomed us wholeheartedly.
Our journey began at the Murrook Culture Centre on Worimi Country, Murrook means “good” or “happy” in Gathang. Curator Nicole Chaffey brought storytelling, family history, and cultural connection to life during our tour of the gallery and interactive spaces, awakening us to the richness of stories passed down across generations. Walking across the stunning grounds with Uncle Jim and Aunty Lorraine Lilley with Uncle Neville Lilley grounded us in their Welcome to Country, embedding a foundational sense of respect and belonging. One of the most powerful moments happened when and Uncle Neville led a truth-telling session around images of repatriation, ancestral remains returned from foreign institutions. We reflected silently and collectively on the profound necessity of this work: healing, restoring dignity, and reclaiming connections severed by the past, the emotional weight of witnessing these images and the story firsthand will stay with us always.
We were deeply grateful to reconnect with Ashleigh Frost, curator at Yarrilla Arts & Museum (YAM) and board member at Phoenix Cultural Centre. She guided us through YAM’s gallery, introduced us to local artists and organisations, inspired creative collaboration, and even lent a hand in the kitchen when we prepared dinner together.
In Nambucca Heads we hosted a powerful, cross-cultural community dinner invited by Fiona Welsh, the new Manager of Nambucca Valley Phoenix. Fiona welcomed us with deep experience in community services and a heart for inclusive engagement. She made us feel at home in the Phoenix kitchen.
The dinner was a rich tapestry of shared food, language, and culture. We prepared dishes from the many lands we call home, Vietnam, Iraq, China, Palestine, and Lebanon and fired oysters in their shells the Aboriginal way. Together on Gumbaynggirr Country, we shared traditions with Gumbaynggirr Elders like Uncle Martin Ballangarry , who generously offered language, stories, and spirit, strengthening our sense of belonging through community.
Our creative week culminated in a Gumbaynggirr language workshop led by Birrugun and Mililma May from Bulagan country. This Aboriginal-led initiative is dedicated to revitalising First Nations languages and cultural governance through intergenerational, grassroots engagement across Nambucca and Coffs Harbour. Learning from them was both an honour and a lesson in empowerment and hope for the next generation.
What touches us deeply is how art, food, story and language intertwined to become creative life. This wasn’t polished, it was warm, real, messy, and genuine. Think+DO Tank values creative care, building trust by simply showing up, and crafting spaces where creativity bridges difference. In regional areas where such exchanges are rare, places like Murrook, Nambucca Heads and Coffs or even a kitchen turned into a learning stage stand as essential expressions of belonging.
This isn’t a one-off project. It’s a journey unfolding in real time: stories deepening, friendships growing, and creative spaces blossoming across cultures, generations, and languages. As we We are just getting started, and our hearts remain open with warmth for the new friendships and learnings to come.
This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.