ARTS 11
TORRES NEWS THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2023
Dance production a call to arms for Treaty: SILENCE set to go on national tour In a well-timed call to arms for Treaty, Queensland’s First Nations performing arts company, Karul Projects will commence an Australian tour this month delivering a powerful narrative in its original, compelling, and theatrical contemporary dance production, SILENCE. Following a sell-out world premiere season in 2020 at Brisbane Festival and last year’s tour of regional Queensland, Karul Projects, with producer BlakDance has assembled an all First Nations cast of SILENCE, which includes Benjin Maza. BlakDance Executive Producer Merindah Donnelly said SILENCE was a searing commentary on Australian Nationhood. “BlakDance is a self-determined First Nations producing house so it’s fitting the first work we tour is adding to the conversation about recognising our Sovereignty,” she said. SILENCE is an hour-long performance that encompasses dramatic and visual storytelling replete with dialogue, humour, and rhythmic percussion – all the elements of which add up to a transformative stage experience choreographed and written by Karul Projects’ co-founder and director, Minjungbal-Yugambeh, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu man, Thomas E.S. Kelly. The cast of seven perform on a stage slowly engulfed in dirt. Thomas said SILENCE was a seminal, First Nations Australian work developed on rich and raw grounds with the light and shade of visual storytelling in dance, dialogue, and percussion. “Abounding in our struggle for Land Back and Treaty, SILENCE breaks the silence both literally and symbolically using dynamic live percussion from composer Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie whose rich drumbeats drive the dancers in their exploration of past, present, alternate realities and dreamscapes of Country, the milky way and Murun, the emu in the sky,” Mr Kelly said. “SILENCE interprets what a 250 plus year-long denial of meaningful listening to First Nations people has done to the psyche of the people and land. “Brown feet kick up sand, earth, dirt, and dust. “The sand seeps through brown fingers as it always has. “Always was, always will be.”
SILENCE: Main Pic: Taree Sansbury, Benjin Maza and Thomas E.S. Kelly. Below Right: Benjin Maza.
Cast & Crew • Thomas E.S. Kelly (Choreographer/Writer/ Performer) MinjungbalYugambeh, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu • Taree Sansbury (Rehearsal Director/Performer) Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjerri
We want YOUR news!
• Vicki Van Hout (Choreographic Dramaturg) Wiradjuri • Alethea Beetson (Dramaturg) Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri • Benjin Maza (Performer) Yidindji, Birri Gubba, Miriam Mer and Tanna Island
• Keia McGrady (Performer) Githabul MigunberriYugumbeh • Glory Tuohy-Daniell (Performer) Indjalandji Dhidhanu and Alyewarre • Olivia Adams (Performer) Wulli Wulli • Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie
(Percussion Composer/ Performer) Mirning and Wuthathi • Sam Pankhurst (Music/Sound Designer) • Karen Norris (Lighting Designer) • Selene Cochrane (Costume Designer)
Have you got news? If you have an event or news you’d like to share... make sure you share!
You can email our editorial team via Diat or Christine with your words and pics – and tell us what’s new in your world!
Please contribute your words and fully captioned pics in clearly identified folders via Dropbox or WeTransfer (www. WeTransfer.com). One folder per story and pics, or item.
You must include: your full name and contact details (not necessarily to publish, but to verify), a word or text document explaining who, what, when and where your story or event occurred, and a list of captions for any photographs you include. If you’d like more information about how to get your story on board, matha ring come! Diat: editor@torres.news Christine: christine@torres.news
