Perinatal Dreaming – Understanding Country, 2023
Authorship and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Agreement
Creative Work: Perinatal Dreaming – Understanding Country, 2023
Medium: Virtual Reality [VR]
Author/Creative Director: Marianne Wobcke
Perinatal Dreaming is a virtual reality experience [defined as a creative work] based on an original concept by Marianne Wobcke. The VR creative work was conceived and directed by Marianne Wobcke as “lead author” and produced by fEEL Lab, UNSW (VR specialists) in association with Creative Arts Research Institute and School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University.
The work is Indigenous-led, grounded in Wobcke’s Perinatal Dreaming story. As such the lead author, Marianne Wobcke, and Indigenous co-contributors, assert ownership of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property [ICIP].
ICIP: Indigenous peoples’ rights to ICIP are enshrined in Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Australia adopted the Declaration in 2009. Protocol for ICIP regarding creative work in Australia is described in the guide* published by Creative Australia (formerly Australia Council for the Arts), which states that Indigenous peoples have the right to own and control ICIP [1.2.2].
Perinatal Dreaming: Understanding Country relates to the internal "Country" that is the interface between the Dreamtime, Archetypal domains and our biographical experiences and stories (https://www.perinataldreaming.com.au/). It is anchored in Marianne’s own story as one of thousands of Indigenous children forcibly removed from her mother at birth, and in her work as an Indigenous midwife.
The VR creative work may therefore be understood to be based on pre-existing Indigenous knowledge of which Marianne Wobcke is the owner.
The VR creative work was produced collaboratively under Marianne Wobcke’s direction. As an immersive media production it follows the model of film production, whereby a Director works with a specialist team contributing to visual, audio and technical components.
The collaborative team recognises the creative leadership of the Director, Marianne Wobcke in terms of Indigenous knowledge and creative “conception and direction” of the work. The terms “conception and direction” refer both to Marianne’s original design/invention of the work and her oversight throughout. As Director, Marianne Wobcke maintained creative control with final responsibility for all creative choices. The collaborating artists (Volker Kuchelmeister, Jill Bennett, Lucia Barrera, Glenn Barry, Naomi Sunderland, Phil Graham) worked with by Marianne Wobcke to realise the vision articulated by Wobcke, responding to her direction.
Published credits:
Concept and creative direction: Marianne Wobcke
Producer: Jill Bennett
Art Director & Production Design (Digital): Volker Kuchelmeister
Sound Design: Lucia Barrera
Musicians: Glenn Barry, Naomi Sunderland
Music Recording and mix: Phil Graham
VR production design team: Volker Kuchelmeister, Jill Bennett, Marianne Wobcke, Gail Kenning, Lydia Gitau
*Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts; protocols-for-using-first-nati-5f72716d09f01
PDF (creative.gov.au)
