Journey through the Underworld for International Overdose Awareness Day
Friday, 23 August, 2024.
August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD), the world’s largest annual campaign to end accidental overdose.
This year’s theme is ‘Together We Can’ which, according to the IOAD website, is about “highlighting the power of our community when we all stand together”.
Against this sentiment of hope and togetherness, the title for ACON’s IAOD event ‘Stories from the Underworld’ seems rather mysterious.
However, according to NJ Martin, a suicide prevention peer specialist at ACON, the title is perfect.
“Spaces where drug use is happening can be seen as dark, grimy underside of society stuff,” says NJ, “but it's actually this really rich, deep, interconnected community of people.”
NJ is one of a number of speakers who will be performing at ‘Stories from the Underworld: A journey through queer and trans histories for International Overdose Awareness Day’. The event promises to be an opportunity for queer and trans people to share their tales of lived and living experience with drugs.
According to Zeek Morrison, ACON community health promotion officer for harm reduction and NSP outreach peer worker, stories are the foundation of togetherness, especially those from the underground.
“There's still a lot of stigma around drug use and drug related deaths, so being able to have a place that is free from judgment and fosters community care and healing is really important,” he says.
Finding community
In mythology, the Underworld is a shadowy place, not fit for the living. But in reality, the ‘Underworld’ is the first place some people ever feel accepted.
“As people, we need to gather and share stories, that's Indigenous wisdom” says NJ.
“This is a bunch of people who may have been considered ‘underworld’, or ‘freaks’, or ‘other’, coming together to be like, ‘no, no, these are my people’.
“We want to gather and share our stories, and we're not ashamed of what we are and what we've been through.”
Along with Zeek and NJ the event features speakers from a multitude of backgrounds. A purposeful choice, says Zeek, to demonstrate the strength found in diversity.
“It helps us find that commonality as well as building respect for [our] differences and just learning from each other; learning from people with diverse backgrounds, diverse ages and different lived experience.”
NJ echoes this sentiment.
“Not everyone's living experiences is the same as mine, and it's really helpful to witness other people living differently and finding [their] joy.”
Being vulnerable
In the lead up to Stories from the Underworld, speakers worked with award-winning screenwriter Enoch Mailangi to help craft their scripts.
As peers, NJ and Zeek have shared parts of their personal story a number of times over the years, but both say telling them to an audience is quite different.
“I find it a lot easier to talk about my work, the facts, you know, [rather than] opening up and kind of sharing that vulnerability,” Zeek says.
NJ agrees, “I probably wouldn't talk to one of my support workers this way, I wouldn’t be that vulnerable because I think it could be potentially upsetting for them.
“But this event is a beautiful opportunity to be a bit more vulnerable and be a bit more expressive with this part of my life, and to share my story in solidarity with others.”
Zeek says the process of writing his script has been emotionally challenging but, for him, the outcome is more important than his discomfort.
“I think it is really important to kind of sit in that and be a little bit uncomfortable in that vulnerability, because that's how we break down stigma.”
The workshops with Enoch and the other speakers have also been a source of vital emotional support.
“All of us speakers have been able to go together and support each other, get support from [Enoch] and bounce off each other, like ‘how we can keep ourselves safe and okay while sharing these things?’ and helping to empower each other,” Zeek explains.
Acknowledging loss
While highlighting the resilience and compassion of the community is nice, it’s difficult to discuss overdose without acknowledging what it has taken from us.
After all, the Underworld is no place for the living.
“[This event] kind of feels like a collective resistance against shame, bearing witness, remembering and honouring the lives of those that are lost to overdose or who have experienced overdose,” says Zeek.
“I think there is strength and hope in creating spaces for those with lived experiences to share their stories and the memories of those who are no longer able to pass on this knowledge.”
Adding to this, NJ says remembering those who came before us is how we build a better future.
“You know, this sort of event wasn't something that I knew that existed 10 years ago when I was in the thick of it,” she says.
“I guess why I keep coming back to this work is because I like getting to create movement or space where there maybe wasn't before. Creating those pathways that I feel like didn't exist and now do exist because I've made them.”
Perhaps that is why the title fits so well.
The Underworld is not the land of the dead or the shadows used to hide us.
It’s our space to remember, and gather, and empower each other because, if you’re in the Underworld, the only way to go is up.
ACON’s ‘Stories from the Underworld’ is a free event taking place on Gadigal and Wangal land at the Red Rattler Theatre, Friday August 30. The evening will include a memorial vigil to honour the loved ones lost to overdose. Peer support will be available to attendees.
This event is supported by NUAA, Kirketon Road Centre, Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) and International Overdose Awareness Day.
‘Stories from the Underworld’ is a ticketed event, register to attend at Humantix.