Celebrating NAIDOC Week at Bunjil Place
This NAIDOC Week, Bunjil Place is proud to highlight a series of events and an exhibition that celebrate and elevate First Nations history, community, and creatives, including actors, musicians, artists, and educators. From captivating theatre productions to an insightful gallery exhibition, there’s something for everyone to engage with and support our First Nations culture.
Scar Trees
Date: Friday 19 July 2024
Garren’s on his BMX. The crappy one. He knows all about what it can do, and its limits. He knows the tracks he doesn’t want to go down. Fightin' an that. He knows there’s other ways. There’s gotta be other ways. Uncle Laurie does his wood carving and runs a men’s group. He’s been off the grog for a while now. They’re all trying to get to Uncle Pat’s funeral. But when they get there, what stories will be told, and what will be left unspoken?
Scar Trees unpacks transgenerational trauma and the manifestation of family violence in First Peoples Communities due to the ongoing effects of colonisation. After the show, audiences are invited to engage in a yarning circle to reflect, share and connect with others working within the community, followed by a panel discussion with leaders in the family violence sector. This professional development session is open to health and community workers who work in First People communities to build understanding and dialogue around First Peoples experiences.
The Visitors
Date: Thursday 25 July
Visitors leave. Right?
It’s January 1788 and a mysterious fleet is amassing in the harbour. Seven clan leaders must make a momentous decision: to send these strangers on their way or welcome them?
Co-produced by Moogahlin Performing Arts and Sydney Theatre Company, The Visitors is at once a riveting, deeply researched insight into one of the most impactful and painful days in Australia’s history, and a hugely entertaining study of how communities respond to change and the unknown.
Waru – Journey of the Small Turtle
Date: Monday 14 October
Under the star-illuminated skies of the Torres Strait, a green turtle navigates her way back to the beach where she was born. The season has started, the turtles are returning to nest, and soon the island will welcome a new generation of hatchlings – amongst them, our small turtle friend, Migi.
In Bangarra’s first dedicated work for children, join our heroine Migi as she undertakes a journey of discovery and survival. A contemporary saltwater Lagaw Kazil (Island Children) story inspired by the totemic system of the green turtle, Waru –Journey of the Small Turtle is an interactive and immersive introduction to Torres Strait Islander culture and dance for 3–7-year-olds.
Created by former Bangarra Artistic Director, Stephen Page, together with Hunter Page-Lochard and Bangarra alumni Dancers and Choreographers Sani Townson and Elma Kris, Waru provides teachers, parents and caregivers with a unique opportunity to open up conversations about climate change, caring for the environment and the traditional cultural values of respect and reciprocity.
Kungka Kuṉpu (Strong Women)
Date: until Sunday 21 July 2024
Drawn from the Art Gallery of South Australia’s (AGSA) collection, Kungka Kuṉpu (Strong Women) showcases major contemporary works by celebrated women artists from the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY) – cultural custodians of an oral tradition that epitomises the art of storytelling.
Working individually and collaboratively, these women leaders share an irrepressible desire to create ground-breaking works, deeply embedded with cultural knowledge and rich in ceremonial song and performance.
Presented as part of AGSA’s acclaimed Tarnanthi program, this regional touring exhibition reflects the adaptive genius, energy and dynamism of Aṉangu culture and recognises the APY art movement as a vital source of contemporary art production in Australia today.
Kungka Kuṉpu (Strong Women) tells the inspiring tale of women supporting each other across generations, expressed through exemplary paintings, large-scale woven sculptural installations and moving image. These works centre on caring for Country, mapping significant sites and life sustaining practices of the desert; as well as sharing complex narratives surrounding family obligations and relationships. This includes the well-known Kungkarangkalpa (Seven Sisters) story about women who travel together and look after each other.
Join Us
We invite you to join us in celebrating NAIDOC Week and support our First Nations history, community, and creatives. Whether through attending our theatre shows, exploring the Kungka Kuṉpu (Strong Women) gallery exhibition, or participating in the professional development sessions, there’s an opportunity to engage and learn.
Let’s come together, and in line with the NAIDOC 2024 theme "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud".
MobTix: Creating opportunities and accessibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Bunjil Place is committed to working closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from Australia to celebrate and elevate First Nations culture. MobTix is about creating opportunities and accessibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities allowing for increased participation in the arts.
Who is eligible for MobTix?
All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from Australia are eligible for MobTix – free tickets to specific theatre shows, including Scar Trees, The Visitors and Waru – Journey of a Small Turtle.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, you can access your free MobTix via the website booking links.
