Come and talk to artist Walbira Murray, a Gumillaroi woman from Dirranbandi, about the things you hope for and create your own 'dream holder' to take home.

Presented in two parts, this theatrical ritual celebrates dreams and aspirations through visual art, theatre, music and dance. After creating individual dream holders, children place their holders in a stunning artwork of white sand, ochre and ancestor poles.

Performers ceremoniously light candles in the children's dream holders in a contemporary dance performance that spreads the dreams of the children and community.

The music for Sand Song will be a soundscape composed by Lou Bennett, a Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung singer/songwriter/composer, best known as a member of singing group Tiddas. Throughout the performance, a live vocalist (Song Woman) will also weave a narrative. A key sound theme is the Kookaburra, who calls in the twilight and the dawn. The other element to the soundscape is the emu beat, which is a visual and narrative theme throughout the show.

Meet the artists from Sand Song

Walbira Murray - Visual Artist and Workshop Leader/Story teller
Walbira is a Gumillaroi woman, from Dirranbandi. Walbira's earliest memories are of living in the fringe dwellers camp on the banks of the Ballone River in a shack her father had built.  Walbira is a traditional dancer, Artistic Director, Arts Facilitator, Art Maker and Events Coordinator. She combines traditional and contemporary practices, crafting spaces and experiences that reflect a connection to spirituality and allow for an interface between Indigenous and non Indigenous people. She has worked on a local, state, national and international level. She has toured internationally to Europe, North America, and Asia numerous times to showcase Indigenous arts and culture through performance and exhibitions. Her work is influenced by connection to country and her culture. The colours and textures of the ghost gums, flat plains, slow rivers and deep earth colours of her country are often experienced in her work. This connection to country drives her to create spaces and experiences where Indigenous and non Indigenous people can interface on a level that encourages exploring mutual connection to place and the spiritual base of country.

Elena Vereker - Concept and Direction, Workshop Leader
Elena is a director and creative producer of new works in text, physical theatre, image-based performances and large scale site-specific events. She has worked with a number of companies and Festivals in Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. As the Creative Producer of Melbourne Fringe Festival (2004/2005) she created free, high profile events for the Festival and for the Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival (2006). She went on to be the inaugural Creative Producer for Federation Square directing and creating numerous works including the Advent Calendar (2006-8) and several other international collaborations. In 2008 she co-founded insite arts creating large scale, site specific works nationally and internationally. Currently she is the Creative Producer for Brisbane Festival's outdoor public performance art program.

Lou Bennett - Composer
Lou is a Yorta Yorta/Dja Dja Wurrung singer /songwriter /composer, best known as a member of singing group Tiddas. Lou has composed scores and sound scapes for many films and theatrical events, as well as performing as a solo artist alongside many of the best musicians in the world. She has recently begun acting, and creating her own theatre & comedy material and has been touring nationally and internationally with her band -- Lou Bennett and the Sweet Cheeks.

Deon Hastie - Choreographer
Deon graduated with a Diploma in Dance from NAISDA in 1998.  In 1999 he undertook the Emerging Artist Program with Leigh Warren and Dancers and in 2000 was invited to become a member of the company.  Now a principal member of LWD Deon has contributed to and performed in all works by LWD from 2000-2009. With LWD Deon has toured nationally as well as travelling to the USA, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong and Holland. Deon has been nominated for the Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative 2006.

In 2006 Deon co-choreographed a work titled 'Crossing Paths' with Kurruru Youth Performing Arts.  In 2009 he choreographed and performed in 'Saltbush' a collaboration with the ' Come Out' festival Adelaide and Italian based children's company 'Teatro Piazza de O'caissione'.
Deon is also a contemporary dance teacher at various levels and is a mentor to indigenous youth.

Rick Rosser - Sculptor, Painter, Performer, Artefact maker
ick was born in Brisbane in 1955 and learnt the art of bushcrafts growing up in the 60's in rural and North Queensland. Many people hunted as a necessity in those days, and Rick made and used bush tools all the time in the backblocks and camps. Rick was always willing to learn and interested to continue Indigenous traditions. Ricks father was active in Aboriginal issues and his mother was involved in white Feminist activism. At an early Rick witnessed first hand the plight of murri people and resolved to share the struggle for cultural and physical survival. His fascination with Indigenous culture has continued into adulthood. As a professional artist his works have been acquired by major collections such as the National Gallery of Australia, the Queensland Art Gallery and Public Art works. He presents Indigenous art and culture, mainly in Firemaking, Ochre, Boomerangs and Artefact workshops, internationally at events and festivals from Hadrians Wall in the West to The Great Wall of China in the East.

Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA)
The Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA) is a Registered Training Organisation developing and training Indigenous Performing Artists in acting, singing, dance and music. ACPA delivers accredited training with qualifications in Certificate III, IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in the Performing Arts. ACPA caters for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a culturally sensitive and supportive environment.

Visual Artist and Workshop Leader/Story teller Walbira Murray 
Concept and Direction, Workshop Leader Elena Vereker
Choreographer Deon Hastie
Composer Lou Bennett
Traditional fire maker Rick Roser
Dancers Carmen Attel, Hannah Scanlan, Howard Williams, Gina Rouben from Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts
Lighting Design David Walters

Things to try

• The term texture is used to describe the way a three-dimensional image feels when touched
• Consider the two-dimensional elements used in art of colour such as line and shape
• Sit in a 'talking circle' so children and family members can see each other. Talk about 'hope' and what it means for different people

Books

• Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors (Smart About Art) by Jane O'Connor
• Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules (Smart About Art) by True Kelley
• My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter

Meet the Artists

Walbira Murray

Walbira is a Gumillaroi woman, from Dirranbandi. Walbira's earliest memories are of living in the fringe dwellers' camp on the banks of the Ballone River in a shack her father had built. Walbira is a traditional dancer, Artistic Director, Arts Facilitator, Art Maker and Events Coordinator. She combines traditional and contemporary practices, crafting spaces and experiences that reflect a connection to spirituality and allow for an interface between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
Walbira has worked on a local, state, national and international level. She has toured to Europe, North America, and Asia numerous times to showcase Indigenous arts and culture through performance and exhibitions. Her work is influenced by connection to country and her culture. The colours and textures of the ghost gums, flat plains, slow rivers and deep earth colours of her country are often experienced in her work. This connection to country drives her to create spaces and experiences where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can interface on a level that encourages exploring mutual connection to place and the spiritual base of country.

 

 

In the presence of Walbira Murray, a Gumillaroi woman from Dirranbandi, children talk about their hopes--for themselves and their communities. In this two-part work, students create their own dream holders to be placed in a large ground artwork, the scene for a contemporary dance performance.

Ages: 5+

Essential Learnings QCAR Framework 

Ways of working - The Arts
Create and shape arts works by combining arts elements to express personal ideas, feelings and experiences

Knowledge and understanding - Visual Art 
Texture is used to create variation and repetition 

Assessable element
Responding   
E.g. Look at the bark on a tree in the playground. It may be rough, smooth or scribbly and the surface may be repeated on other trees in the area. Tear or cut and glue papers of different qualities onto cardboard cylinders of various lengths  to represent variation and repetition. Create a landscape 'tree-ed' with textured poles. Name each 'tree' according to its touch.
- Use brown, coloured, patterned or plain paper
- Choose  crumpled, glossy, tissue or sand paper
- Recycle material where possible

Before

• The term texture is used to describe the way a three-dimensional image feels when touched
• Consider the two-dimensional elements used in art of colour, line and shape
• Sit in a 'talking circle' so students can see each other. Talk about 'hope' and what it means for different  people

Books

• Henri Matisse: Drawing with Scissors (Smart About Art) by Jane O'Connor
• Pablo Picasso: Breaking All the Rules (Smart About Art) by True Kelley
• My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter

About the artists
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