Marrugeku, Australia’s leading Indigenous intercultural dance theatre company visits the Northern Rivers for a series of workshops as a part of a four-day residency sharing their choreographic, cultural and storytelling processes that underpin their approach to making contemporary dance theatre.

From 20 – 23 May 2024, the Marrugeku team will work with four diverse groups in four towns in the region, catering for the various skills and needs of each group, focusing on the relationships between dance, Country and community.

Marrugeku’s 2024 workshop program is led by three dancers/co-choreographers from the company’s Burrbgaja Yalirra program. Meaning Dancing Forwards in Yawuru, the program supports the next generation of changemakers in contemporary, community-connected, intercultural and indigenous dance. Emmanuel James Brown (EJB), Stanley Nalo and Miranda Wheen (Miri) have each been co-devising artists on major works for Marrugeku and have conceived and co-created their own solo or duo projects within Burrbgaja Yalirra.

Storytelling Through Movement Workshop.

This inclusive workshop is tailored for community members and members of cultural groups 16+, with an interest in movement and dance. EJB, Stanley and Miri will introduce Marrugeku’s process of connection to stories of place and Country. Participants will engage their own bodies, movement languages and cultural backgrounds to explore forms of storytelling and their individual responses to awaken feeling into their movement. Participants with martial arts, hip-hop/street dance, traditional or contemporary Indigenous dance or other movement-based practices and interests are encouraged to attend. No formal training is required to attend this workshop.

Duration 2.5 hours - Max 12 participants

The residency is a response to the Dance Sector Uplift project, recently carried out by Arts Northern Rivers to revitalise the dance sector in the Northern Rivers.

This project is supported by: