It’s the 21st century’Australia’s First Nations dance sector is the oldest in the world and boasts 150 independent choreographers and makers, and 100,000 cultural dance practitioners. And yet there are only two multi-year funded Indigenous dance companies: Bangarra and Marrugeku, a smaller, intercultural dance company that’s partly Indigenous-led. Ilbijerri is just as a big a performing arts company as Bangarra ... so why aren't we a major? Melbourne-born Meriam/Gu-Gu Yimidir playwright and author John Harding is a life member of Melbourne’s Ilbijerri theatre company, which turns 30 this year and is the longest established First Nations theatre company in the country. “Ilbijerri is just as a big a performing arts company as Bangarra in terms of the cultural footprint, the effect, the impact,” says Harding.

Source: The Guardian August 28, 2020 21:56 UTC