Artist of the Month | Sky River

Artist of the Month | Sky River

Sophie Mathewson

Before she was a storyteller, Sky River consumed books.

Growing up in inner Melbourne during the late 70s and early 80s, Sky craved something beyond the structured world of organised sport and the urban life around her. Literature made more sense. “It was much more of a wild escape into the world of stories,” she reflects. “I liked looking at things through a different lens.”

That escape to books led her to the lands of Narnia and Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree, Tolkien and Magic Middle Earth. Otherworldly places where the rigid lines between human life and nature blurred. And she also discovered films like The Dark Crystal, The Labyrinth, and The NeverEnding Story – which all spoke to her in ways her surroundings didn’t. Hybrid life forms, fluid realities, the interconnectedness of all things—these were themes she absorbed early and has carried into her own creative practice.

Sky went on to study the arts formally, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree and an Honours at Edith Cowan University, where she delved into the studies of archetypes and eco-psychology—two frameworks that continue to shape her storytelling.

“An archetype is a summary of different characters,” she explains. “If I were to say to you, ‘Oh, there’s a villain,’ then you would instantly come up with an image of what that looks like. Or, ‘Here’s the old wise woman who lives in the woods.’ She’s an archetype. The child is an archetype. The princess, the prince. Archetypes are metaphors or symbols for character types in a story—we know their traits instantly.”

Her study of archetypes then took a more eco-psychology focus. Eco-psychology gave her a framework to explore her relationship with the natural world – particularly while living in a region so naturally abundant.

“Wadandi people have cared for Country here for over 65,000 years. There’s a beautiful, rich, old culture that doesn’t have the same nature-human divide that we embrace in Western culture,” she says.

“As a non-Indigenous Australian, I can’t take on a cultural story that’s not mine. So how do I explore this same understanding—that we belong to Country and are part of it? For me, eco-psychology provided a way. It’s a psychological science, but as an artist, I’ve used it as a framework to think beyond just my human identity and belonging in a wider sense of self that includes the natural world.”

Her latest work, Marri Tree Girl, a theatre production four years in the making, is a culmination of those ideas. Sky has worn many hats in this project—writer, producer, director, and puppet creator—but she is quick to emphasise the collaborative nature of the final show. “The work is a collaboration of over 10 artists,” she explains, encompassing visual artists, a musical soundtrack, digital media, puppetry, performers, and puppeteers. “It’s an exploration of puppetry and digital media, and all the artists involved have been passionate throughout their careers about exploring nature and environmental issues.”

“But because we’ve cleared so many of them, they don’t have their support networks. So now the spores are actually killing the trees. They get into the trunk, they get into the bark, and they soften it, and the trees are dying.”

This scientific reality forms the backbone of the narrative, but Sky has responded to it in a creatively compelling way. “So yes, there’s the science underpinning it, but because it’s a creative response, we have a whole eco-science fiction story,” she says.

The central narrative follows a young girl living in a bustling dome, a consequence of humanity’s forced separation from nature. This fictional world serves as a powerful metaphor for the consequences of our disconnection from the natural world, highlighting the urgency of addressing environmental issues.

Sky sees theatre-making as a deeply collaborative process, contrasting with the often isolating nature of writing alone or working solo on visual artwork. “Theatre allows me to weave together so many different art forms” she explains. This collaborative spirit extends to her work with Wadandi Cultural Custodians Zac and Wayne Webb, who provided consultation throughout the project’s development, honouring the deep connection to Country that has inspired her work.

“We have been privileged to have Wadandi consultation through the development of the work and First Nations inclusion in the project.”

Not only did Zac and Wayne Webb work to provide consultation, Josh Whiteland from Koomal Dreaming provided a track of his music for the show, and Malgana woman, Janine Oxenham is playing the wind as a performer in the production.

The ethical heart of Marri Tree Girl runs deep. Thanks to funding from various Regional Arts grants, all collaborators were fairly compensated and supported during the project. Skilled puppeteers have mentored the next generation. Digital animators have brought screen elements to life. The project is as much about building a sustainable arts ecosystem as it is about telling a story.

And this generosity is not lost on Sky. Her appreciation for the grants, for her cast and crew, her deep gratitude for the natural world and the Wadandi people who have cared for Country, is the key takeaway when talking with her.

“We’ve been really blessed in Margaret River to have amazing Elders and Custodians who have worked with us, work in our schools, work with our community to share their culture, which has become part of the story here. And really influenced the way that I’ve grown, and I’m so grateful for that because it’s really generous. And we are really lucky to have that.”

“I’m also so incredibly grateful to have had the expertise from our digital media specialist Danny Jennings, set designer Kathi Meister, leather master David Skeats, music composer Saul Harvey Cresswell, and upskilling with the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre.”

Sky’s commitment to community is evident in all that she does. Beyond working with First Nations people on this project, she has also worked as a drama teacher at schools around the region, and with Artzability, an organisation providing activities for people with disabilities living locally. She believes in the importance of giving back, of making space for artistic expression in regional WA.

Sky’s artistry goes beyond mere entertainment—her stories serve as theatrical blueprints for connection and survival. Through Marri Tree Girl, she offers a powerful invitation: to reconnect with nature, to see with fresh eyes, and to remember our place within the living world.

Marri Tree Girl premieres at the Margaret River Heart March 14th and 15th.