Martha Hayes was transported to Van Diemen's Land in 1802, becoming the first white female and giving birth to the first white child there. This narrative embodies the intertwining convict and settler identities prevalent in Tasmanian heritage. The musical "Vandemonian Lags," featuring stories drawn from extensive convict records, seeks to humanize and reclaim these often-stigmatized histories through song and performance. Returning to stage after its successful premiere, the show combines narrative, music, and visual elements to bring the past to life, honoring complex family histories and social dynamics in contemporary Tasmania.
Martha Hayes, the first white female in Van Diemen's Land, exemplifies the complex lineage of Tasmanians, combining convict history with colonial freeness.
Through Vandemonian Lags, the convict stories of Tasmania are narratively reclaimed, merging music, film, and live performance for profound emotional expression.
Vandemonian Lags revives the hidden histories of over 70,000 convicts with joy and emotion, transforming shame into a celebration of personal and cultural narratives.
The project grew from the Founders and Survivors initiative, illuminating the shared, intertwined legacies of Tasmania's colonial past through engaging theatricality.
Collection
[
|
...
]