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Gary Lang’s Waŋa dance collaboration explores ancient and modern beliefs about death

A man and a woman in ceremonial dress on stage.

The performance of Waŋa — which means spirit — starts behind a thin veil, with a glimpse of the “in-between world” and an ancient Yolŋu funeral ceremony.

Telling the story of a spirit’s journey after death, Larrakia choreographer Gary Lang has worked with Rirratjŋu lore man and ceremonial advisor Banula Marika to create the performance.

“This performance is called Spirit and it’s the spirit of the Dhuwa clans,” Mr Marika said in Yolŋu Matha, with assistance from an interpreter.

“When I pass, my spirit will travel back to my homeland, the homeland that we’re telling this story about.”

A group of dancers surrounded by smoke on stage.
The spirit world is said to be joyful about a spirit’s return after death.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)
Two dancers perform the spirit's journey.
Waŋa is set to music by Darwin Symphony Orchestra.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)

“This is also my other home and place where my spirit comes from and my clan.”

The collaboration between the NT Dance Company, MIKU Performing Arts and Darwin Symphony Orchestra attempts to capture the pain and the relief of a spirit’s passing.

Mr Lang said his late grandmother also taught him about the spirit world.

“She said ‘what happens Gary, in the spirit world, when that spirit has to come to the physical world, there’s tears of sadness there because it’s a loss and there’s tears of joy in the physical world’,” Mr Lang said.

A portrait of two men in front of a stage.
The performance is a collaboration between Gary Lang and Banula Marika.(ABC News: Felicity James)

“and [after death] it works in reverse, there’s tears of sadness because there’s a loss and there’s tears of joy because it’s going back home.”

He said the performance tried to represent the process of passing through a veil from the physical world into an “in-between world”.

“We don’t know that in-between world,” he said.

“Between that veil and before you actually step into the heavens, I think that’s where all the ceremony happens in culture.

Waa 3
Gary Lang describes his works as ‘Indigenous ballet’.(Supplied: Paz Tassone)

“That it helps you to leave all the physical attachments behind and then you step into the world of wonder.”

Funeral ceremonies can last for days, weeks or months in Yolŋu culture, including in Mr Marika’s community of Yirrkala.

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Entertainment

Master Arnhem Land artist Margaret Rarru Garrawurra wins top prize in 2022 NATSIAA’s with sweeping woven sail

A smiling woman wearing a bright orange jacket standing in front of a large thatched artwork, inside an art gallery.

A sweeping, large-scale woven sail, once used on fishing boats between Arnhem Land and Indonesia prior to colonization, has won first prize in the prestigious National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards.

Six other artists have won category prizes including bark painting and multi-media works, picked from 63 finalists from over 200 entries.

This year the NATSIAA’s became the richest art award in the country, with $190,000 in the overall prize pool and a doubling of the top prize to $100,000.

These are the winners.

Telstra Art Award

Women sitting beside a large woven artwork.
Margaret Rarru Garrawurra with her winning work.(ABC News: Pete Garnish)

The major prize this year went to senior Yolngu artist Margaret Rarru Garrawurra for Dhomala (pandanus sail).

Ms Garrawurra, who lives in Milingimbi in north east Arnhem Land, recreated the type of sail used on Macassan fishing by boats, which came to trade with Yolngu in north east Arnhem Land prior to colonisation.

A photograph of an orange and black woven sail

The weaving style used in the piece was taught to her by her father, who was taught by his father.

The work features the rich black plant dye Ms Garrawurra has become renowned for, which she gathers and prepares herself.

Friend and sister Helen Ganalmirriwuy, who helped interpret for Ms Garrawurra, said that of all the mediums her sister works in, weaving is “her favorite in her heart”.

General Painting Award

An intricate painting of white markings scrawled across a black canvas.
Ngangkari Ngura, by Betty Muffler.(Supplied: MAGNT)

Indulkana artist Betty Muffler won the General Painting Award with a piece titled Ngangkari Ngura (Healing Country).

Bark Painting Award

A woman stands next to a bark painting featuring cream-coloured water spirit figures and a red and pink sea.
Yirrkala elder Meriki Ganambarr-Stubbs with the late D Yunupingu’s winning work Yunupiŋu —The Rock.(Supplied: MAGNT)
wider d yunupingu work
D Yunupingu’s work among other finalists.(Supplied: MAGNT)

The Bark Painting Award this year recognized a work titled Yunupingu (the rock) by D Yunupingu from Yirrkala, who died in 2021.

Works on Paper Award

A black and white photo of a man, with a collage of flowers edited into the background.
Detail of Gary Lee’s winning piece for Works on Paper Award, titled Nagi.(Supplied: MAGNT)
A man sitting in front of a black-and-white portrait handing on a wall in a gallery. He wears a pearl necklace.

Larrakia man Gary Lee, from Garramilla/Darwin, won the Works on Paper Award with a pastel, pencil and digital print work titled Nagi.

Wadjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award

Two elderly women in an art gallery, sitting in front of a large woven fish trap suspended behind them.
Bonnie Burangarra and Freda Ali Wayartja with their work that won the Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award.
A picture of the inside of a woven basket.
A large cylindrical thatched artwork hangs from the ceiling of an art gallery.

A joint work by Bonnie Burangarra and Freda Ali Wayartja from Yilan in the Northern Territory won this year’s Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award. The work is titled An-gujechiya.

Multimedia Award

artwork by Jimmy Thaiday
A still from Jimmy Thaiday’s winning work for the Multimedia Award, Beyond the Lines.(Supplied: MAGNT)
Three people sitting on a settee watching a video on a large screen, inside a dark room inside an art gallery.

A video work by Jimmy John Thaiday from Erub in the Torres Strait,titled Beyond the Lineswon this year’s Multimedia Award.

Emerging Artist Award

A beaming woman standing in front of a large artwork hung on a black wall with her hands on her hips.
Louise Malarvie with her winning work.(Supplied: MAGNT)

The Emerging Artist Award, given to an artist in the first five years in their practice, this year went to Louise Malarvie from Kununurra, for a work titled Pamar Yara.

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Australia

Prize money doubles for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, making it Australia’s richest art prize

Prize money doubles for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, making it Australia's richest art prize

The winners of Australia’s biggest and most prestigious Indigenous art awards will be announced in Darwin tonight, with each to take home a share of what’s now the richest art prize in the country.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards takes entries from across Australia and all types of visual arts, from bark paintings and traditional weavings, to digital works and sculpture.

This year the overall winner will be awarded $100,000, bringing the top gong in line with the first prize in the annual Archibald Prize.

It’s recognition that curator and Arabana, Mualgal, and Wuthathi woman Rebekah Raymond is “overjoyed” to see paid to the artists involved.

“I think [the increased prize money] really shows a commitment to celebrating these artists,” she said.

“It shows an understanding that the vibrancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art practice is at a global level, and the prize pool needs to respect and reflect that.”

A sign saying 'gallery changeover in progress, with two people carrying boxes and painting on walls behind it.
The winners will be announced at a gala event in Darwin on Friday night.

Six other winners of individual categories will take home $15,000, an amount tripled this year by long-time awards sponsor Telstra.

The combined total of $190,000 is the biggest for any art prize in Australia.

Dozens of finalists from hundreds of entries — and seven winners

The winners will be announced at a gala event in Darwin on Friday night, which coincides with the opening of the two-week Darwin Festival.

A panel of three judges have narrowed more than 200 entries down to 63 finalists, which have been installed together for the annual — free — blockbuster exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT).

A woman stands in a darkly-lit gallery with out-of-focus, colorful artworks installed around here
Ms Raymond and two other judges have picked seven winners out of 63 finalists.(ABC News: Che Chorley)

‘Expanding practices, pushing boundaries’

A winner for the overall prize is chosen from among the finalists, as well as one for six categories including:

  • General Painting Award
  • Bark Painting Award
  • Works on Paper Award
  • Wadjuk Marika 3D Award
  • Multimedia Award
  • Emerging Artist Award

Now in its 38th year, the NATSIAA’s have celebrated some of the art world’s biggest names and most influential figures, from Djambawa Marawili and Betty Muffler to Vincent Namatjira and Kaylene Whiskey.

While the stories and techniques behind some of the bark paintings, weavings and carvings are ancient and traditional, Ms Raymond said it’s a mistake to think that only the younger artists are experimenting and innovating.

“There’s been amazing innovations within bark painting, especially by senior ladies [from north east Arnhem Land],” she said.

“These are contemporary works — they’re carrying on art that’s been around from time immemorial but they’re expanding practices, they’re pushing boundaries.

Artist Dhambit Munungurr sits in her wheelchair, smiling, with her hands raised in celebration.
Previous bark painting winner Dhambit Munungurr is among the senior Yirrkala ladies experimenting with new color palettes.(ABC News: Che Chorley)

On display online, People’s Choice Award up for grabs

This year’s exhibition will again be accessible online, which has been the case since the first year of the pandemic.

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Entertainment

National Indigenous Fashion Awards in Darwin showcases growing fashion industry

A group of fashion models stand in a line on the stage. A woman in a colourful dress stands in front of them.

First Nations fashion is about much more than just clothes.

According to one of the people behind the National Indigenous Fashion Awards, the fast-growing industry is a gateway for greater recognition of First Nations people and culture more broadly.

“When we come together as Australians to make decisions around things like an [Indigenous] voice to parliament … people will have a better understanding,” Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation Chair, Franchesca Cubillo, said.

“Because they’ve had those conversations with First Nations people, because they’ve bought those textiles or they’ve seen paintings or fashion.

“All of these important first steps allow First Nations people to take their place in Australia and be valued and appreciated.”

National Indigenous Fashion Awards, 2022, photo by Dylan Buckee.
The awards started during COVID lockdown in 2020. (Supplied: Dylan Buckee)

The third annual NIFAs — which see Indigenous designers and artists from all over the country recognized for their work — were held in Darwin last night.

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Entertainment

Couture and culture combine for sold-out Indigenous fashion show in Darwin

Couture and culture combine for sold-out Indigenous fashion show in Darwin

First Nations designers and artists from across the country have come together in Darwin to showcase some of the nation’s leading Indigenous fashion.

The Country to Couture fashion show has been held on Larrakia Country, in Darwin, as part of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

Artistic director, Shilo McNamee, said 18 designers and artists took part in two sold-out shows.

“We’ve had so much interest from all these amazing designers, artists and creatives, so we’ve got two really big shows,” she said.

A woman walks away from the camera on a fashion runway. She wears wings made out of grass.
A model showcasing a design from Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance. (Supplied: Dylan Buckee)
a female model wearing a headpiece
A design from Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts in collaboration with Aly De Groot Art. (Supplied: Michael Jalaru Torres)

‘Culture is a very important thing’

Wendy Hubert, an artist from the Juluwarlu Art Group in Western Australia, designed and modeled clothes for the show.

An older Indigenous woman standing next to a young Indigenous man with a big screen and blue spotlights in the background
Wendy Hubert and Wimiya Woodley. (ABC NewsMitchell Abram)

She said it was a pleasing experience to showcase Indigenous culture.

“Culture is a very important thing that we share with others … And you have to feel good to share your culture,” Ms Hubert said.

“To share and acknowledge ourselves, to be proud of ourselves, to have pride in yourself and be accountable.”

Wendy’s grandson Wimiya Woodley also took part in the show, and was his first time taking to the runway as a model.

A man with curly hair and wearing a fur coat stands on a fashion runway.
A design by Linda Puna from Mimili Maku Arts, in collaboration with Unreal Fur.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)
A man with curly hair looks into the camera. He is wearing a fur jacket.
A design by Linda Puna from Mimili Maku Arts, in collaboration with Unreal Fur.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)

“I’m feeling pumped to show my family’s culture, being around all these other First Nations people, it’s very empowering he said.

“We’ve come a long way as blackfellas… and to be in this venue in the capital of the NT… it’s very magical.”

A woman wears a colorful scarf and looks into the camera against a black background.
A design by Ngali by Denni Francisco, with textile adapted from Lindsay Malay.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)

‘Carrying our stories’

Creative Director Shilo McNamee said she had been blown away by the response to this year’s Country to Couture events.

“Audiences are really excited to come and support the show, support designers and artists,” she said.

“There are quite a few local people involved in the show, we’ve got local talent on stage as our closing performances… so it’s great that Darwin people could come get behind it.”

A woman wears a colorful turban and a white t-shirt with a black background.
A model wearing a design by Western Australia’s Juluwarlu Art Group.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)
A man wearing a colorful jumpsuit stands on a runway.
A Gantharri by Bobbi Lockye design on the catwalk.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)

Bobbi Lockyer, a designer who also took part in the show, said she was encouraged by the response to the event.

“It’s so important because it’s a way of carrying our stories through and showcasing our incredible resilience and talent,” she said.

“It’s really incredible to be able to include my culture and include my art, and the storytelling through the pieces in my designs.”

The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair continues with the National Indigenous Fashion Awards and a public program of events beginning on Friday.

country to couture, indigenous, fashion, darwin, festival, runway, nt, northern territory, nagula jarndu art center
A brightly colored entry from Nagula Jarndu Art Centre.(Supplied: Dylan Buckee)

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Australia

Halls Creek Shire president Malcolm Edwards worried for family members reported overdue traveling back from Alice Springs

A composite image showing three people's faces side by side - a man, a woman and an older woman

A Kimberley man whose family have disappeared while on a trip to Alice Springs says it’s completely out of character for them not to answer phone calls and texts.

Bonnie Edwards, 70, and her son and daughter Eldride Edwards, 41, and Virginia O’Neil, 49, were expected to arrive back in their hometown of Halls Creek on either late Sunday or Monday, but have so far not returned and were reported overdue yesterday.

According to a statement issued by Northern Territory Police this afternoon, they were last seen on Sunday.

Malcolm Edwards, who is Bonnie’s husband and Eldride and Virginia’s father, told the ABC on Wednesday afternoon that the trio had traveled to Alice Springs to attend a meeting involving Indigenous people in an outlying community.

The Halls Creek Shire president said the last time he had spoken to his wife had been on Saturday morning after the meeting had wrapped up, but she had not said where they planned to stay that night.

“My wife said they’re back in Alice Springs and they’ll tell me all about it [the trip] when we come home,” he said.

Malcolm Edwards sitting in front of the shire offices.
Malcolm Edwards hasn’t heard from the trio since the weekend, despite numerous calls and texts. (ABC Kimberley: Andrew Seabourne)

He said Virginia had spoken to her son briefly on Sunday morning, and that was the last known contact with the three missing people.

“My daughter said they’d met this really nice guy and they were going to stay at his place. We don’t know who that is. No idea who that person was,” he said.

Police say the trio have not made contact with anyone and there have been no signs of financial activity from them since Sunday.

Cr Edwards said he had raised the alarm on Tuesday after repeated calls and texts to his wife, son and daughter went unanswered.

“They normally ring and tell us. This is out of character,” he said.

“They’d normally ring up and say, ‘we’re leaving Alice Springs now we’ve decided to go via Katherine’, they would tell us.”

Aerial image of outback town's main street
The group were expected to return to Halls Creek several days ago.(ABC Kimberley: Ted O’Connor)

Now he is worried someone else is using his daughter’s phone.

“The police picked up a ping that the phone was turned on at 2am on Monday morning and the ping was located somewhere near a caravan park in Alice Springs,” he said.

“We’re starting to think it was not Virginia who turned the phone on because if it was her she would have seen all those messages.

“As far as we know none of the bank accounts have been used, but there have been a few bank accounts that we haven’t got access to, but the police will check all those out.”

The missing trio were supposed to be traveling from Alice Springs to Halls Creek on the Tanami Road, but Cr Edwards said police had checked CCTV at roadhouses along the way and found no evidence they had embarked on their journey home.

As the Halls Creek community awaits news from police, Cr Edwards said his wife’s relatives in Alice Springs were helping to raise awareness in the community.

A dark red ute parked in a driveway.
The group is traveling in this red Toyota Hilux.(Supplied: Northern Territory Police)

“We feel like we can’t do much,” he said.

“Some people who are related to us in Alice Springs are driving around town, [asking] ‘have you seen this car, have you seen these people?'”

Along with Cr Edwards, Bonnie and Virginia are also councilors with the Shire of Halls Creek.

The group is traveling in a red Toyota Hilux with the WA registration plate, PH27156.

Police are calling for anyone who knows where the trio may be or have seen their vehicle to contact police.

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Australia

Three people reported overdue traveling back from Alice Springs, NT Police say

A composite image showing three people's faces side by side - a man, a woman and an older woman

Northern Territory Police is seeking help to locate three people returning from a trip to Central Australia, who haven’t been seen for several days.

Bonnie Edwards, 70, Eldride Edwards, 41, and Virginia O’Neill, 49, were last seen on Sunday, when they attended a weekend function in Alice Springs, according to a statement issued by Northern Territory Police this afternoon.

Family members in Western Australia reported the trio overdue for their return on Tuesday.

The group is traveling in a red Toyota Hilux with the WA registration plate, PH27156.

Police believe the group may be traveling to Western Australia.

However, NT Police would not say specifically where the trio was traveling to or when they were expected to arrive.

A dark red ute parked in a driveway.
The group is traveling in this red Toyota Hilux.(Supplied: Northern Territory Police)

According to the statement, the trio have not made contact with anyone and there have been no signs of financial activity since Sunday.

Anyone with information on where the trio may be or have seen their vehicle is being asked to contact police.

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Australia

Murder charge dropped for Kim Kellett, accused of fatal shooting near Katherine’s Cutta Cutta Caves, court hears

a police at an outback nature park

The man accused of murdering an alleged home intruder near Katherine earlier this year, will likely plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, a court has heard.

Kim Kellett has been in prison sincely alleged shooting a 26-year-old man on his property at the Cutta Cutta Caves National Park in March.

The 38-year-old appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Wednesday via video link from the local correctional centre, dressed in a red prison-issued T-shirt which usually indicates the inmate is held under maximum security conditions.

Senior Crown Prosecutor, Marty Aust, told the court the original murder charge would be withdrawn and replaced with the lesser charge of manslaughter.

“The Crown will be relying on a reckless manslaughter charge,” he said.

“The facts that make out that charge have been reduced to writing and there is agreement between the parties as to the facts in full, for plea in the Supreme Court.”

A set of agreed facts was given to the judge, but not read in open court.

The exterior of the Darwin Local Court.
The court heard the man is likely to plead guilty. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)

Mr Kellett’s lawyer, Peter Maley, told the court his client would likely plead guilty when the matter reached the Supreme Court next month.

“It will be ultimately a plea of ​​guilty to an amended count two, for recklessly causing the death,” he said.

Despite indicating a guilty plea, the charge Mr Kellett faces is too serious to be dealt with by the Local Court.

“I am satisfied the evidence is sufficient to put the defendant on his trial in respect of count two [manslaughter],” Judge John Neill said.

“I direct he be tried at the Supreme Court in Darwin.”

Manslaughter carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Mr Kellett’s case will be mentioned in the Northern Territory Supreme Court on September 1.

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Categories
Sports

Woman charged with assault, five women’s soccer players banned over post-match fight outside stadium

generic photo of soccer balls

Five players in the Northern Territory’s top women’s soccer competition have been suspended – and one charged with assault – over a post-match fight that’s been called “unacceptable” and “in contrast to the values ​​inherent in our game” by the sport’s governing body.

NT Police has confirmed an 18-year-old player has been charged with assault in relation to the “physical altercation” involving several players on June 26, which broke out in the car park of the Darwin Football Stadium in Marrara after a game.

“A verbal dispute between two players escalated into a physical altercation when a third party intervened,” Acting Sergeant Carol Maxwell said in a statement.

“The altercation was an escalation from the match.”

There were no serious injuries.

Yesterday, Football Northern Territory announced that it had sanctioned two clubs – the Hellenic Athletic Club and Port Darwin Football Club – in relation to the same incident.

In a statement, it said five players across both clubs had been banned from participating in any of the association’s activities for various periods of time.

A match is seen being played at TIO Stadium during sunset.
The Darwin Football Stadium in Marrara is the biggest outdoor stadium in the Northern Territory. (Supplied: Celina Whan / AFLNT)

Those players – which include three from Hellenic and two from Port Darwin – face suspensions ranging from 12 weeks (with four weeks suspended) to three years.

Hellenic has also been stripped of nine points in the 2022 Women’s Premier League competition, and will remain subject to a good behavior bond that will, if breached, see the club lose three points for each offence.

Football Northern Territory chief executive, Bruce Stalder, said everyone involved in the game should be able to participate in a safe environment.

“This behavior will never be tolerated, it is unacceptable, unnecessary and in stark contrast to the values ​​inherent in our game,” he said.

Mr Stalder said as part of the sanctions, the suspended players would be enrolled in a community program designed to improve personal accountability and behavioral flexibility.

The woman charged with assault is due to face court on September 19.

The police investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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Categories
Australia

Michael Gunner’s office broken into in ‘personal’ attack days after resignation

Michael Gunner's office broken into in 'personal' attack days after resignation

The Northern Territory’s former chief minister Michael Gunner’s electorate office has been broken into days after he quit politics, in what he has described as the latest in a series of “personal” attacks.

According to NT Police, a 47-year-old man was arrested over the alleged unlawful entry and criminal damage of Mr Gunner’s office in the Darwin suburb of Parap.

Police received reports just after 4am this morning that a man had broken in and caused “extensive damage”.

“It was a very personal break in targeting photos of me and items of personal importance to me,” Mr Gunner — who stood down from his role as Member for Fannie Bay last week — said in a social media post.

“We’ll take advice from the police on what our next steps may need to be to keep my family safe.”

A broken window pane with posters attached to it leans against a metal pole.
A 47-year-old man is expected to be charged over the break-in. (ABC News: Janus Gibson)

Mr Gunner said the break-in was the latest in a series of targeted incidents against him.

“This appears to be a continuation of behavior from a range of fixed individuals that has seen a number of incidents not limited to my family abused, filmed and our personal address revealed,” he said.

The alleged offender was arrested a short time after the break-in, with charges expected to be laid later today.

A man in a navy suit with blue tie speaking at a lecture, two seated people watching in background
Michael Gunner believes a break-in at his electorate office was a ‘personal’ attack. (ABC New: Che Chorley)

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles also described the incident as a personal attack.

“Michael put his hand up and served our community for 14 years, he deserves now to have the opportunity to spend time with his family and feel safe in doing so,” she said.

“Sadly it’s something [safety] that all of us as members of parliament do consider.”

By-choice race heats up

Mr Gunner announced his resignation from politics in a speech to parliament last week, sparking a by-election in the seat of Fannie Bay, which has been held by several former chief ministers.

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