A Yolngu creation story is being brought to life in a cross-generational and multilingual performance at Yirrkala School

A creation story will be brought to life by young people at the Yirrkala School tonight, in the first ever theatre-style production to be performed at the Roy Marika Stage

Nhulunbuy- Barayuwa Munungurr and Kaia Munungurr are performing at the Yirrkala School this Thursday. Pic Michael Franchi.

A creation story will be brought to life by young people at the Yirrkala School tonight, in the first ever theatre-style production to be performed at the Roy Marika Stage.

Yawulŋura’ is a bilingual show starring the students of Yirrkala School, created from a traditional Yolŋu story. Incorporating theatre, dance and a mix of contemporary and traditional music, Yawulŋura’ features an expansive cast. Over 50 young people, ranging in age from small children to senior students, have been assembled for the production.

The performance is part of the Yirrkala Dhäwu project, a two-year collaboration between the Yirrkala School, Corrugated Iron Youth Arts, Buku-Larrŋggay Mulka Yirrkala Arts Centre and co-directors Sarah Hope and Banbapuy Ganambarr.

Director Banbapuy Ganambarr said this project had given students the opportunity to put their own ideas in.

“It gives them a chance to use their skills and show their talent. Some students’ wellbeing has already progressed because of different kinds of creative projects,” she said.

Director Sarah Hope said that the young people involved had been enthusiastic about working with community elders to create this intergenerational project.

“This is the first time we’ve had full production elements for a show out here and it’s going to be really exciting to see how they respond,” she said.

“It’s going to push them one step further in terms of performance and they are dealing with that challenge really well. I’m very proud of them.”

Director at Yirrkala School Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-stubbs explained that the idea for the performance came from a story from the Djapu and Galpu tribes.

“It is a story about a Galpu man,” she said. “He was a young man who went fishing one day. He suddenly saw this leaf and he looked at it and knew this was a different leaf, he had never seen this kind before.

“He couldn’t recognise what it was, so he thought ‘I had better take this back to the elders, maybe they would know’, because every plant was known to Yolngu – still now.”

Yawulŋura’s quest to solve the mystery behind this strange leaf led him on a journey that spanned over a lifetime and resulted in a story that has been passed down throughout history.

An animated e-book of the Yawulŋura’ story is in development and will be released online later this year. Both the book and the theatre performance will be delivered in the languages of Gumatj and English.

Entry is free and open to all members of the public. The community is invited to gather at 6pm and the performance is scheduled to start at 7pm.