Get ready for one night only that’s as soul deepening as it is stirring.  

MEERTA isn’t just a concert – it’s a call to listen, to feel, and to remember. On Friday June 13, celebrated Gunditjmara/Kokatha musician, David Arden, brings his extraordinary new work to The Forge Theatre and Arts Hub through a powerful blend of live music, storytelling, and truth-telling that will move you to your core.

If you’ve never heard David Arden live, this is your moment. A veteran of the Australian music scene, David has worked alongside legends like Uncle Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Bart Willoughby, and Kutcha Edwards. And when the late Uncle Archie called him “one of the finest guitarists in Australia” – he meant it. What David brings to the stage isn’t just talent, it’s reverence. It’s power. It’s lived experience turned into song.

At the heart of MEERTA is the incredible true story of David’s great-grandfather, James Arden, born on Gariwerd Country, he was a trailblazer for First Nations rights. In 1916, James stood up against the control of missionaries and station managers at Lake Condah and Framlingham missions. Over 100 years later, his story still resonates, perhaps more than ever.

Expect songs that hit the soul, stunning visual projections by Dixon Patten, and a top-tier band of musicians delivering a performance that’s as musically rich as it is emotionally charged. This is music that honours ancestry, that celebrates survival and tells the kind of stories too often left out of history books.

“David celebrates his life with courage, dignity and music. This is a celebration of the value of struggle, of fighting for a better world.” Uncle Colin Hunter Jnr said.  

MEERTA is for anyone who’s ready to sit with history, to feel its weight and its beauty, and to rise with it. Bring your heart, bring your curiosity, and bring someone who needs to hear this too.

Event details:

MEERTA – Rise Up! The Ballad of James Arden
Friday 13 June 2025
7:30 PM
The Forge Theatre, Bairnsdale
Tickets available now via TryBooking – don’t miss out.

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