Unshackled – a new convict story presented at TMAG

A new story of convict Australia drawn from recent discoveries within the UNESCO listed convict record will open at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) this week.

Unshackled will bring to life convicts transported to Australia, as well as people resisting colonial invasion and forced into the convict system.

It is a first-of-its kind digital exhibition revealing a new understanding of the convicts' contribution to the struggle for Australian democracy.

Unshackled is created by Roar Film and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in partnership with Monash University.

Monash's School of Media, Film and Journalism and project lead Associate Professor Tony Moore said political prisoners are a major focus of the exhibition.

"Few Australians realise their homeland was once the British Empire's Guantanamo Bay, where about 3,600 rebels, radicals and protesters were transported as political prisoners in the late 18th and 19th centuries," Associate Professor Moore said.

TMAG Director Mary Mulcahy said TMAG was proud to present Unshackled as a new story of convict Australia to deepen connection and understanding of both Tasmania's and Australia's cultural heritage.

"It's also exciting because this exhibition melds traditional museum presentation and rare objects with engaging digital storytelling that is surprising, immersive and moving," Ms Mulcahy said.

Exhibition co-creator Steve Thomas, Creative Director of Roar Film, said the exhibition will be a ground-breaking multimodal experience.

The exhibition will travel around Australian capital cities and regions, the UK and Ireland from September 2024 to 2026.

The Unshackled exhibition is based on Conviction Politics – a major Australian Research Council project lead by Monash University and Roar Film.

The exhibition has been financially supported by The Mineworkers Trust and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers with foundational investment from the NSW Teachers Federation, Trade Union Education Foundation of the ACTU, Libraries Tasmania, Screen Tasmania and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and significant in-kind support from Roar Film, Monash University and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

The Unshackled exhibition opens at TMAG on 13th March 2024 and closes on 28^th July 2024.