In 2025, Australia’s leading Indigenous performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, will present the world premiere of their first-ever visual arts collaboration, Illume – an exciting new presentation from Mirning woman and Bangarra artistic director, Frances Rings and Goolarrgon Bard visual artist, Darrell Sibosado.
Inspired by Sibosado’s Bard Country on the north-western coast of Western Australia, Illume draws together music, visual arts and dance to explore the ways light has captivated and sustained Indigenous cultural existence for millennia.
Following a two-decade tenure at the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre, in 2025, Bangarra will move to the prestigious Joan Sutherland Theatre stage at the Sydney Opera House to premiere the work in June, allowing bigger audiences to experience Bangarra’s extraordinary storytelling.
Illume will then embark on a national tour, which in a welcome return in 2025, will also include performances in Western Australia.
Rings and Sibosado’s collaboration examines artificial light pollution and its disruption to land and sky, devastating First Nations people’s connections to sky country and limiting their ability to share celestial knowledge and skylore.
Illume explores the awe of light, a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. It charts the impacts of light pollution in a climate emergency.
“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,” said Frances Rings.
“This collaboration allows us to examine light from both choreographic and visual art perspectives, in a unique approach that draws on both movement and visual elements to convey complex themes about light, culture, and environmental issues.”
“I hope that by intersecting our artistic practices, we potentially create something more innovative and impactful that honours our First Nations cultural storytelling,” said Rings.
“I’m very excited and honoured to be working with Frances and Bangarra,” said Sibosado. I first met Frances in about 1988 when we were both students at NAISDA College. I have watched her focus, commit and grow into the artist creator she is today and I have always been intrigued by her movement style and the composition of her work.”
“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,” said Sibosado.
Working alongside Sibosado to bring his designs to the Bangarra stage, will be set designer Charles Davis, costume designer Elizabeth Gadsby, lighting designer Damien Cooper, Wiradjuri/Gamilaroi man and composer Brendon Boney, and cultural consultant Trevor Sampi, a Bardi Jawi man from Lombadina.
Illume will play the Joan Sutherland Theatre – Sydney Opera House from 4 – 14 June 2025, before embarking on a national tour. Tickets are on sale from 12 November 2024. For more information, including venues and performance dates, visit: www.bangarra.com.au for details.
Image: Bangarra Dance Theatre presents Illume – photo by Daniel Boud