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Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power cover art

Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power

By: Nakkiah Lui, Miranda Tapsell, Nicola Harvey
Narrated by: Nakkiah Lui, Miranda Tapsell
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  • Summary

  • This series contains mature themes and strong language and listener discretion is advised.

    They're wearing ball gowns, they're debutantes... and they're black. The debs' ball is a controversial colonial export but can it be empowering too? Australia's most celebrated young playwright Nakkiah Lui and actress Miranda Tapsell put on their hats and gloves to find out.

    Nakkiah and Miranda are angry, young, vocal, Aboriginal and very, very funny. Join them on their journey, starting with a lesson on teatime etiquette in London where it all began, as they follow the debutante trail and discover that First Nations women across the globe have made this tradition their own. Nakkiah and Miranda ask: can beauty, poise and politeness actually empower them? Or is it better to get angry and start shouting?

    This is an Audible Original Podcast. Free for members. 
    ©2020 Pipi Films Ltd (P)2020 Audible Australia Pty Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: Strong Black Women

    Ep. 1: Strong Black Women
    Jun 15 2020

    A London etiquette supremo offers Nakkiah instruction in correct debutante behaviour while Miranda learns from family and friends how it felt to be celebrated as a young woman at the National Aboriginal Ball in 1968.
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    26 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Ep. 2: Don't Slip, Don't Fall

    Ep. 2: Don't Slip, Don't Fall
    Jun 15 2020

    Nakkiah and Miranda learn how this symbol of elitist colonialism was appropriated by an Indigenous community fighting for their civil rights.
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    29 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
  • Ep. 3: Revolutionary Citizens

    Ep. 3: Revolutionary Citizens
    Jun 15 2020

    Nakkiah and Miranda head to Mt Druitt in Western Sydney where they find that Aboriginal debutante balls are still going strong in the 21st century.
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    20 mins
    Free with 30-day trial
Women Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Customs & Traditions Sociology
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What listeners say about Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power

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Profile Image for Bree

A must listen for any white Australian

Debutante feels like a chat with your girlfriends, yet it manages to delve into the serious issues of racism, colonisation and feminism. I learnt so much from listening to this podcast, whilst still having some good laughs. Highly, highly recommend!

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5 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for eroticaddict

Inspirational, thought-provoking, and fun

This really made me think about some things and challenged my feminist views. It was also very interesting and I learnt a lot. And there were fun human moments in it which made me smile. I would definitely recommend listening to this series.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • MBS
  • 23-06-2020

Exceptional

Amazing series from two of the best storytellers and reporters out there. Each episode better than the last.

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2 people found this helpful

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Profile Image for Michael

Really love this

Nakkiah and Miranda are fantastic - I’d happily listen to them discuss anything. But this series is insightful in all kinds of unexpected ways, but also hilarious and moving.

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Profile Image for Susanne

Genuine, Confronting Vulnerability.

So worth the listen. I blitzed all episodes in 2 days. Confronting to this white Australian woman. Brought me to tears more than once. Confronting, thoughtful, educational, hopeful and from the right storyteĺlers. Thankyou Miranda and Nakkiah. Wonderful way you weave the episodes together. I will be sharing my recommendations. I hope these podcasts are heard far and wide.

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Profile Image for Tracey Anderson

So informative. Full of history I never knew.

I am so grateful for this magnificent piece of work. These wonderful women have given voice to so many. There is truth and tears and triumph. It's confronting and heartbreaking at times but liberating and powerful at others. Always it is warm and loving and there is pride in this mob.

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Highly recommend

I loved every minute of this podcast. It made me laugh and cry and opened my eyes to a lot of things. Definitely worth a listen. Thank you Nakkiah and Miranda for sharing your journey.

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Profile Image for Sophia Cosmas

Unexpected but delightful company.

Nakkiah and Miranda kept me company for three hours and fifty delicious minutes while I went about my day. The podcast took me on a most unexpected, but particularly engaging journey through their experience exploring the history and life of debutantes past and present. Not just your run-of-the-mill debutante, mind you. Indigenous debutantes.

You don't know, what you don't know until you know it, and I'm so glad that a friend pointed me to this treasure, because as the subtitle hints, the contents are much richer than just a superficial dip into manners and frocks (although that subject area is covered too.)

Fabulous. Instructive. Informative. Humorous. Warm. Delightful.

I loved this. Listened to it all in one go. Do yourself a favour.

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Profile Image for Aarthie Ratnakumar

Powerful

This was such an amazing listen - learning about this unknown little piece of history regarding Aboriginal debutante balls in Australia and the power, strength, sadness and joy of First Nations people worldwide. Miranda Tapsell and Nakkiah Liu are amazing writers and performers, and this podcast is a must-listen in today's climate. The question you are left with in the end though is what non-Indigenous Australians will also do with all of this knowledge and education - hopefully not just consume this for entertainment but also as a call to arms to join the resistance too.

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Profile Image for Alexis SHOREHILL

great discussion

fab podcast, learned a lot, loved the discussion about acts of resistance. thanks very much

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.