The Experiences Of Young Asylum Seekers Explored In Perth Festival’s Children Of The Sea

As part of the Perth Festival this year, Jay Emmanuel brings us a performance about young asylum seekers entitled Children of the Sea.

The idea for the production developed slowly over a number of years as Jay interviewed people in Australia about what is happening in detention centres on a deeper level than we see in the media. He met Ali from Pakistan who came by himself to Australia on a boat when he was 14 years old, and instead of tragedy, Jay felt a sense of hope, resilience, innocence, humour and adventure in a journey that included a discovery of personal identity.

Taylah Strano talks to Jay on Breakfast about Children of the Sea and how the production tells the story of the time children spend in the limbo of the sea as they leave their past behind and hope for a better future.

Children of the Sea was showing at the Subiaco Arts Centre from February 17 – 20, 2021.

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