dirtsong, Premiere Melbourne International Arts Festival
23 October 2009
Presented by Melbourne International Arts Festival in association with Arts House and in collaboration with The Black Arm Band.
dirtsong is a music performance from Aboriginal Australia mixing traditional and contemporary songs, existing repertoire with newly commissioned music and sung in many Indigenous Australian languages.
A narrative about country, dirtsong evokes a sense of geographical place and country as a series of encounters, memories, occurrences, obligations and nature.
With words from Miles Franklin Award-winning author Alexis Wright (Carpentaria), these songs evoke a new conceptual and emotional map of Australia's heartland while gently awakening some of Australia's sleeping languages.
The Black Arm Band is a collection of many of Australia's premiere Aboriginal musicians. The ensemble performs, promotes and celebrates contemporary Australian Indigenous music. Its members come from across Australia and embody diverse musical, linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Performed in Australian Aboriginal languages against a backdrop of lyrical film imagery.
Artists Mark Atkins, Lou Bennett, Deline Briscoe, Emma Donovan, Kutcha Edwards, Dewayne Everettsmith, Leah Flanagan, Shane Howard, Ruby Hunter, Bunna Lawrie, Djolpa McKenzie, Lee Morgan, Shellie Morris, Archie Roach & Bart Willoughby
With Special Guests Jimmy Barnes & Paul Kelly
Original Text Alexis Wright
EVENT INFORMATION
the Arts Centre, State Theatre
Fri 23 & Sat 24 Oct at 7.30pm
1hr 40min no interval
Audio Description: Sat 24 Oct at 7.30pm
Premium........................................................ $78
A Reserve Full................................................$60
A Reserve Groups (8+)...................................$54
A Reserve Conc.............................................$45
B Reserve Full................................................$48
B Reserve Conc.............................................$36
C Reserve Full...........................................$33.60
C Reserve Conc........................................$25.20
Student (B & C Res)........................................ $2
the Arts Centre 1300 182 183
www.theartscentre.com.au
Ticketmaster 1300 136 166
www.melbournefestival.com.au