PROJECTS

Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool

23 September–10 October Kununurra

Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool (Gija for old car) is a powerful cultural object full of sound, story, intercultural collaboration and reconciliation.

In 2017 an old car wreck was converted into a sonic sculpture and instrument by composer and sound artist Jon Rose and was subsequently painted by Gija artists depicting stories of Country and cars. In 2020 the WA Museum acquired Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool, and in 2023 Tura will present The Journey Down, an epic tour and performance of Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool from its home in Kununurra to its new home at the WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth, where it will be experienced by visitors from all over the world.

In 2022, a creative team of indigenous performers and cultural advisors, as well as leading non-indigenous musicians, animators and key creatives travelled to Kununurra for a two week development ahead of The Journey Down tour in 2023. The development weaved together dance, music, storytelling and projection, centred around Warnarral Ngoorngoorrool and our collective experiences of cars, wrecks and how they connect us.

2022 Creative Team

Madeline Purdie Gija Cultural Advisor, Artist and Storyteller

Chris Griffiths Miriwoong Cultural Advisor and Performer

Andrew (Pelican) Daylight | Gija Performer

Dion Jamin Miriwoong Performer

Eddie Nulgit Gija Performer

Tos Mahoney | Creative Producer

Victoria Hunt | Dramaturge

Vanessa Tomlinson Composer/performer

Tristen Parr Composer/performer

Aviva Endean | Composer/performer

Sohan Hayes Screen and Animation

Jon Tarry 3D Consultant

Project Management and Production

Melanie Naumoff Project Coordination

Guy Smith | Production Manager

Partners

Warmun Community Inc

Western Australian Museum

Waringarri Aboriginal Arts

2022 Project Funding Partner

The Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Regional Arts & Cultural Investment program Made in WA Fund

Sound FX

10 August–2 September, 3–30 October Fitzroy Crossing, Kimberley

Sound FX commenced in 2017 by Tura and award-winning community music facilitator, researcher and educator Dr Gillian Howell. Exploring music, story, cultural knowledge, and language through long term collaborations with education and community partners in the Fitzroy Valley, the project aims to strengthen and diversify the ways that music-making can support community goals around language knowledge, wellbeing, and healing.

Sound FX supports the revitalisation of local Aboriginal languages whilst developing new cultural works for performance, education and wider distribution, and creates new opportunities for community members to develop their musicianship and make music together in diverse ways. We look to support and enhance locally-grown creative projects through the annual visits of Tura and its artists.

Two residencies were held across 2022, with program director Dr Gillian Howell and a team of supporting facilitators specialising in music writing and recording, youth community theatre, clay-making, video, shadow puppetry and dance. This gave participants an opportunity to connect their learnings in music and storytelling with other audiovisual and physical modalities. Primary work was done with Fitzroy Valley District High School (FVDHS), Baya Gawiy Early Childhood Education Centre (BG) and Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre (Marnin), while performances engaged the full breadth of the community.

2022 Creative Team

Gillian Howell Program Director

Natalie Davey Local Producer and Facilitator

Annika Moses Workshop Facilitator

Tara Gower | Dance Workshop Facilitator

Rebecca Russell Workshop Facilitator

Elena Nees Workshop Facilitator

Edify Media Photography and Videography

Project Donors

Irene Lawson & Brendan Kissane

Project Funding Partners

Healthway promoting the Act-Belong-Commit message

Minderoo Foundation

The Australian Government’s Indigenous Languages and Arts Program

The Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ Creative Communities Recovery Program

Local Partners

Fitzroy Valley District High School

Baya Gawiy Children and Family Centre

Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre

Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency

Acknowledgements

Tura and the artists thank the communities that have partnered with us and the First Nations people who call Fitzroy Crossing home, including the Walmajarri, Gooniyandi, Wangkatjungka Nyikina and Bunuba people. We thank these peoples for their ongoing care, custodianship and connection to the land. Thank you to the Elders and community members who have welcomed us onto Country.