With backgrounds in music, filmmaking, and storytelling, criminalised and formerly incarcerated artists Tabitha Lean, Jasmine Barzani, and BARKAA share their valuable perspectives on the role of art in confronting carceral narratives.

Artist biographies

Tabitha Lean is an abolition activist determined to disrupt the colonial project, abolish the prison industrial complex, and challenge the colonial carceral state. Having spent almost two years in Adelaide Women’s Prison and a total of 18 months on Home Detention, Lean uses her lived prison experience to argue that the criminal punishment system is a brutal and too often deadly colonial frontier for her people. She believes that until we abolish the system and redefine community, health, safety and justice, her people will not be safe.

BARKAA is a Malyangapa, Barkindji woman who’s roots come from Western New South Wales, living on Gandangara land in South West Sydney. Music has been part of her journey to express herself and passionate about the truth and issues impacting First Nations people. She released her debut single 'For My Tittas' which put her on the map followed by her debut E.P ‘BLAK MATRIARCHY’. In 2022, BARKAA continued to make waves with rounding out the year with two ARIA nominations and a victory in the King Brown - Song of the Year category at the National Indigenous Music Awards. She was also honoured as an FBi SMAC Award winner for the third consecutive year, triumphing in the coveted Record of the Year category with her album 'Blak Matriarchy' and securing the Best Video award for its eponymous film clip, as well as, taking home the Best International Hip Hop Single of the Year Award at the International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards.

Shillan Shelby is a scholar-organiser from Rojhelat (Eastern Kurdistan) and a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. She is a resident of Techno Park on the lands of the Yalukit-Willam clan of the Bunurong people and she has been involved in a number of campaigns and groups including, the National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, #TransformIPCS, the Bendigo Street occupations, UniMelb for Palestine and 3CR Community Radio. Shillan is also a proud cat mom, an amateur surfer and an aspiring polyglot.

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We are committed to making the IMA accessible to people of all abilities, their families, and carers, as well as visitors of different ages and different backgrounds.

The gallery entrance is on the ground floor of the Judith Wright Arts Centre, on Berwick Street. There is wheelchair access and an accessible toilet with baby changing facilities also located on the ground floor, and we welcome guide and support dogs.

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Contact the host of Talk | Confronting Carceral Narratives with Tabitha Lean, Shillan Shelby, and BARKAA

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