Want a Hug? Meet Francis Firebrace!

This article can also be found on Step2TV.

“I have a gift for you from Australia.” I heard the voice of Francis Firebrace say as I walked into the library, only to turn the corner and see him proceed to try and hug the librarian who was attempting to issue him with a library card. A few moments before hand, I had been walking with the Australian Aboriginal Elder to the venue where he was to be hosting one of his workshops, but he had elected to go “walk-about” halfway there to chat with people, sharing his wisdom with anyone who would listen.

As one can expect, Francis’s attempt to hug every person he meets is something that goes against the very British tradition of treating everyone but our families (and sometimes not even them!) with a degree of detachment. In most cases, if someone so much as says “hello”, we look at the ground and pretend we didn’t hear them; so imagine the shock most people experience when a man clad in a loincloth and an animal skin attempts to hug them! For the past 25 years, this is exactly what Francis has been doing, travelling the world and spreading his own unique brand of aboriginal consciousness through the art of indigenous storytelling and human fellowship. A passionate humanitarian, an enthusiastic entertainer and a prolific hugger, Francis lives a life of complete and unconditional love for his brothers and sisters all over the globe, teaching the importance of respect and self-esteem wherever he goes.

Five years ago, director Kevin Lee Brown met Francis and, inspired by the storyteller’s message, has been filming him ever since. Firebrace, an interactive documentary directed by Brown, follows Francis as he shares his lessons with schools, prisons, demonstrations and more, mapping out the story of this unique and inspirational man, helping spread his message and the positive effect it has on people.

As a multimedia, cross-platform project, Firebrace will give people the opportunity to get involved with aboriginal wisdom and interact with the Dreamtime stories. Building a digital archive of Francis’s stories and his ongoing outreach work, the project will allow people across the globe to learn from the traditional values and wisdom of various cultures, and ensure that the Dreamtime stories and Francis’s lessons are never lost. The documentary of Francis’s life is now nearing completion, and is currently using the crowd-sourcing website IndieGoGo to raise the funds to get Francis and the production team to Australia to finish filming and reunite Francis with his family and his people. This venture can be supported by visiting the Firebrace IndieGoGo page and donating - whether it’s as little as £1 or as much as £1000, your contribution will help make this great project a reality.

Francis Firebrace is a truly remarkable and inspirational man, and the most pure and compassionate human being I have ever had the privilege to encounter. In the modern world, it is incredibly easy to forget that we are all connected, to detach ourselves from the rest of our kind, and the lessons we can learn from our ancestors are slowly being lost to the sands of time. But if we could all show a little fellowship, some mutual love and respect for humanity, then we could help to forge a better future. This is Francis’s message, and is exactly what Firebrace aims to share. We are all one.

For more information about Firebrace and how you can get involved, check out the IndieGoGo page here.

Check out this video of Francis on London’s Southbank - click here.