I’m honoured to have been commissioned by Linda Thompson and ACOCO to write about the inspiring Adam Goodes and our shared journeys.

The end game for me is to create a safe space for people to embrace the lullaby of humanity and come back to the grass roots of how we walk and share the journey of life together. 

It’s my job to take the audience on a journey musically but also to take them to that sacred place, which for me is the horizon, symbolically the sunrises and sunsets, where there is the continuum of life, death, culture, rebirth, ceremony. 

Things that we take for granted sometimes in this modern day - we are able to reflect in that ceremonial space.

The connection and positive relationships with humanity have always been there.

We just have to take the time to listen to one another without judgment and through such a story like THE INCIDENT we have a chance to address something front on with the intention of bringing people together for a better understanding of each others cultures and practices.

The strength and spirit with come through the language and the music of our mother country.

Through Linda’s powerful libretto we have something truly Australian, truly genuine in storytelling and truly unique, a story of resilience, understanding, cultural awareness, respect and confronting racism at a very high level even in present times . 

A story of love shared for a sports game, two families, one field. 

The time is now to tell this story through ACOCO - THE INCIDENT

- William Barton

Photo by Keith Saunders