Upstart Aussies troupe to perform in Charlottesville

Upstart Aussies, a group of Aboriginal and non-indigenous artists from Australia, will perform Sept. 25 in the Charlottesville Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. The group, whose visit is sponsored by U.Va.'s Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, blends song, dance, poetry and storytelling in its performances.

The Upstart Aussies aim to bring attention to the impact of Europeans settling Australia on Aboriginal culture, particularly the thousands of Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families under the government's assimilation policy. The artists, who include the children's dance troupe, "Burrnya Warrma," and singer Kerrianne Cox, also share a message of hope for reconciliation.

Tickets, $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors, are available at the Newcomb Hall Box Office, Greenberry's, Mincer's, Plan 9 and Spencer's, as well as at 400 Peter Jefferson Place on Pantops, where the collection is housed. Call 244-0234 for information.