Voices of Gallipoli by Arthur Meek

[michaeldr]

 

I was unable to attend the Gallipoli Association's annual conference this year, but have been catching up via the web.

I found this, most moving - see what you think ... ... ... ... 

Gallipoli Association conference 2022 - Voices of Gallipoli by Arthur Meek

New Zealand playwright, Arthur Meek, introducing an oral adaptation of Voices of Gallipoli by the late Maurice Shadbolt.

Arthur gave voice to a verbatim testimony from an Anzac soldier who fought at Gallipoli. Arthur said: "Voices of Gallipoli is largely a collection of [verbatim] narratives which tell how humble and mostly simple New Zealanders lived and died on Turkey’s Gallipoli peninsula for eight months in the year of 1915. The testimonies were taken and recorded by New Zealand novelist Maurice Shadbolt.

I’m reading them aloud, because I think it’s an important thing to do. I’m not trying to act, or be the soldier. I’m just trying to say his words out loud so we can hear what he had to say." The performance marked the debut of an international project to remember and honour the experiences of combat veterans by speaking their words out loud. The war veterans’ testimonies were taken and recorded by one of New Zealand’s finest writers - Maurice Shadbolt.

They began as research for his play Once on Chunuk Bair. The veterans were interviewed in the early 1980s (nearly seventy years after the events, sensations and feelings they describe) but their recollections are clear, moving and valuable. It’s special for the people hearing it. It makes the long-gone person whose words are spoken present in the space. Reading silently is wonderful in so many ways. To hear text spoken aloud brings it home in different ways that are worth experiencing collectively.

[Arthur Meek]

Hey Michael - thanks so much for posting your response! I'm so grateful to the GA that they recorded this, and I'm working to make sure that there are more recordings of these voices for people who can't make it to the events in future. 

This is the first year of the project. The mission is to get these voices spoken aloud all over the world this Anzac/Gallipoli Day, 25th April. I'm already in talks with presenters throughout NZ and in Aus, UK, and US - so I'll keep you posted. 

I've just launched a website too - vog.care - check it out and tell me what you think. I'm hoping it informs and invites. 

[michaeldr]

Arthur, 

thanks for rersponding and for the link, 
which in turn led me to https://open.substack.com/pub/arthurmeek/p/the-gallipoli-association-2022?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web - most enjoyable

Good luck with your project which certainly deserves to succeed
Michael

[Arthur Meek]

Thanks mate! I’ll keep you all up to date via this thread (and the project blog - i had a pretty cool experience recording one with another voice actor a few weeks ago. Spooky coincidence occurred)