Bold folk songs of convict resistance and survival.
Bush Gothic isn’t your typical folk band. This striking trio, led by singer and composer Jenny M. Thomas, takes traditional songs and flips them on their head – offering something fierce, intelligent and unexpected. Their sound is raw and immediate, their storytelling razor-sharp. It’s no surprise they’ve collected accolades along the way, including the Australian Folk Music Award for Best Band in 2022 and multiple Best Music awards at the Adelaide Fringe.
For Songs of Resistance, Bush Gothic turns its attention to the stories of convict women and children who endured, resisted, and survived one of the harshest systems of the colonial era. This concert has been created especially for the Cascade Female Factory, with Jenny M. Thomas drawing on her deep connection to the site to shape a powerful and intimate performance.
The songs are drawn from folk tradition, but these are no dusty museum pieces. Each one carries a story of resilience: a clever woman transported for theft (Black Velvet Band), a servant punished for a crime she may not have committed (A Convict Maid), a sly grog shop runner hiding in plain sight (Polly). There are tales of heartbreak, injustice and survival – made all the more poignant when heard in the very place where many of these women once stood.
The concert also weaves in well-known Australian songs—from Great Southern Land to Waltzing Matilda—placing these convict stories within the broader story of who we are and where we’ve come from.
Songs of Resistance invites you into a space heavy with history and fills it with music that’s full of life. It’s a reminder that even in the darkest of times, people have found ways to speak, sing, and be heard.
Tickets
General Admission – $20
*+ booking fee calculated at check-out.
Book here →
Duration
1hr 30min
Venue Information
- Cascades Female Factory is located at 16 Degraves Street, South Hobart 7004, approximately 10 minutes drive from Hobart’s CBD.
- If travelling on foot, follow the walking track along the Hobart Rivulet. The Rivulet track is 2.7km long and travels from the Hobart CBD directly to the Cascades Female Factory.
- If travelling by bus, metro bus numbers 446, 447, 448 and 449 depart from stop D2, Franklin Square, Hobart. Disembark at stop 13, just past St Johns Hospital, then walk down Apsley Street.
- On street parking is available in Degraves and Syme Streets. Accessible parking is available on Syme Street.
Accessibility
- The History and Interpretation Centre is fully accessible, including the welcome space, exhibition, multi-purpose space (for education activities) and gift shop.
- There are accessible bathrooms located on site
- Visitors with sensory sensitivities are invited to contact the venue to arrange an alternative entry point.
- Guide Dog / Registered Assistance Animals welcome