Learning from the past with Courage to Care

Image: Mimi Wise talking to the Lord Mayor Cr Bradbery and Ed St John from Courage to Care.

A new exhibition that focusses on stories to celebrate the courage of those who stand up to prejudice and discrimination has opened at Wollongong Art Gallery.

The exhibition, titled Courage to Care, will officially open tonight, Tuesday 3 October, and will run for approximately two months.

It’s presented by Courage to Care whose remit is to create awareness around the dangers of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, and to provide opportunities for people to learn and challenge their own attitudes and behaviours.

Courage to Care uses inspiring stories of survival from the Holocaust to illustrate the importance of being an Upstander when confronted by discrimination.

The exhibition is also in line with Wollongong City Council’s commitment to provide opportunities for education and cultural learning following confirmation last year that Wollongong Art Gallery benefactor Bob Sredersas was considered a Nazi Collaborator.

“Last year, we made a commitment to our community that we would look for opportunities to provide ways to learn more about the Holocaust of World War II,’’ Wollongong City Council Director Community Services Kerry Hunt said.

“Earlier this year, we had a free presentation from Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet, whose research confirmed Sredersas as a Nazi Collaborator, at the Gallery. This is the next step in this learning opportunity, and is once again open to our whole community.’’

The exhibition is presented through three themes; discrimination, defiance and empowerment, and each of these are explored using personal stories.

“It’s the lived experiences of people – their very personal stories – that bring this exhibition to life,’’ Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.

“There is no substitute for storytelling to really understand how a person lived, what happened to them and the outcome. And there are some really compelling stories in this exhibition that will stay in people’s minds, long after they’ve walked out of the Gallery’s doors.’’

During the exhibition, local schools, and community groups have an opportunity to book in for guided tours of the display that includes precious historical artefacts and audio-visual elements. Bookings for guided tours can be made by emailing Courage to Care.

Courage to Care CEO Ed St John said they were pleased to bring their travelling exhibition to Wollongong and provide the opportunity for the community to explore the space.

Mr St John said at the exhibition opening tonight, Courage to Care would also recognise three local “Upstanders” who live the values celebrated in the exhibition through their deeds and actions.

The recipients are Christine Williams, Chaplain John Kewa and Nyan Thit Tieu.

“One of the key themes of Courage to Care is that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary acts,” said Mr St John.

“In the Holocaust, that often meant risking your own life to save someone else’s – a very extreme example of courage.  But people are capable of kindness and empathy in many small ways, and we like to celebrate that too.”

Cr Bradbery said our community was made up of people from all over the world, and some of the stories captured in the exhibition may reflect their own experiences, or those of family members.

“We’re a city that is proud of our cultural diversity and the fact we are welcoming of people from all over the world,’’ she said.

“This exhibition provides everyone with the opportunity to learn more about the past, and this will, in turn, hopefully encourage us all to be more aware and to take positive steps to not look past injustice in our lives today.’’

Courage to Care is at Wollongong Art Gallery until 26 November 2023.