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THE ISLANDS WHERE WE LEFT OUR ANCESTORS
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 Live comic/musical performance 
by Joshua Santospirito & Natalya Bing

 The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors is a 50 minute performance with storyteller / graphic novelist Joshua Santospirito and Colombian-Australian violinist Natalya Bing. Using art, live storytelling and live music: the recipe for this performance is created using one part theatre, and one part comic strip. 

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Joshua explores the Aeolian Islands in Italy trying to discover why his ancestors left, migrating to Australia. Joshua and his parents search for his great great grandfather's resting place whilst Joshua tries desperately to not to lose his cool with them. He explores stories of humans travelling across time and space, family migration, discusses modern Australian mixed identities, argues with ancient gods and dreams of psychopathic flameball gum trees. A warm and philosophical mix of memories, mythologies and family gossip. 

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Created from the new graphic novel The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors, this story is a continuation of Joshua's exploration of how our stories are embedded in the world around us: an exploration that began with his award-winning first graphic novel The Long Weekend in Alice Springs in 2013. 

GRAPHIC NOVEL

“THE ISLANDS WHERE WE LEFT OUR ANCESTORS” GRAPHIC NOVELThe beautifully hand-drawn true story of artist Joshua Santospirito’s visit to the Aeolian Islands of Italy with his parents to seek out past connections and family roots. Joshua and his father hope to locate the burial place of Joshua’s great-great-grandfather on the island of Salina. But it’s not always so easy to find the past you’re looking for, nor to travel with your parents. Told from Joshua’s unique and charming perspective, there is something here for everyone.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Joshua Santospirito is a graphic novelist, multimedia artist and performer from Nipaluna/Hobart. His 2013 graphic novel The Long Weekend in Alice Springs won the NT Chief Ministers Non Fiction Book award. His third graphic novel about migration stories and trying not to lose your cool when travelling with your parents The Islands Where We Left Our Ancestors is available across Australia from July through Scribe. 
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Natalya Bing is a Columbian/Australian violinist and multi instrumentalist based on the Tasman Peninsula who has performed at venues as diverse as the Sydney Opera House through to dive bars. She regularly performs in the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and in well-loved bands such as Warner Smith & Bancroft. 
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Joshua and Natalya have been performing and composing together under the name Bing/Santospirito since 2019. They were commissioned by Mona Foma to present their audio-visual improvisatory performance The Quoll at the festival (2021) and co-composed music for the theatre play ‘A Mouthful of C’s” (2023).
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