Australia’s leading Indigenous performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre is performing Illume, the company’s first-ever visual arts collaboration, at the Arts Centre Melbourne in September.
Conceived by Mirning woman and artistic director Frances Rings in partnership with Goolarrgon Bard visual artist Darrell Sibosado, this groundbreaking work intertwines music, dance, and visual art to explore the profound cultural significance of light.
Drawing inspiration from Sibosado’s Bard- Bardi Jawi Country on Western Australia’s north-west coast, Illume reflects on how light has captivated and sustained Indigenous cultural existence for millennia.
It also confronts the impacts of artificial light pollution, which disrupts the natural rhythms of land and sky, eroding First Nations peoples’ connections to sky country and obscuring precious celestial knowledge.
“I’m excited to work alongside distinguished Bard visual artist, Darrell Sibosado and explore the concept of light as ‘a glowing bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds,’” says Rings.
“This collaboration allows us to examine light from both choreographic and visual art perspectives… I hope that by intersecting our artistic practices, we potentially create something more innovative and impactful that honours our First Nations cultural storytelling.”
Sibosado adds, “My work is steeped in the context of where I’m from. I am really looking forward to seeing how Frances and I can work together, how our practices will respond, merge and translate to express the rhythm and essence of my people and my country.”
The Melbourne performances at the Arts Centre from 3-13 September are part of a national tour of the performance. Tickets are available here.
