*Milaan Dhiyaan dance group with local performers led by Locky Dennis & Fleur Dennis - Image By Stephen Wilson Barker*

Baiame's Ngunnhu Festival in it’s 8th year returned to the banks of the swollen Ba-wun River on the 9th-11th April for the fifth time at Weir Park, Brewarrina. Presented by Moogahlin Performing Arts & the Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum with support from the Brewarrina Shire Council, Brewarrina LALC and the Bre RSL Club.

Friday Opening Ceremony & Corroboree: gather at the world's oldest human-made structure & longest continual meeting place

Over 400 visitors and local community members gathered for Friday night’s sunset corroboree. Opened by Moogahlin’s Regional Projects Coordinator, Lacey Boney and Artistic Director, Lily Shearer, with a Welcome to Country in language, taught by Melissa Kirby. Following a four-day Language and Dance Residency, hosted by Lacey with Milan Dhiiyaan, Ngambaa Dhalaay and Kapata Dreaming, learning and sharing language and dances with local kids, including the Women’s Business Language Intertribal Ngurra Ngemba, Murrawarri, Yuwaalaraay dances learnt earlier this year on Yuwaalaraay Country in Goodooga.

As the sun set Women’s Business Language Intertribal Ngurra Ngemba, Murrawarri, Yuwaalaraay opened the Corroboree with Ngiyampaa song woman, Maddy Hodgetts and head dancer, Lacey Boney. They were followed by Milan Dhiiyan led by Fleur and Locky Magick Dennis, sharing their songs and dances. Then as the trees of the Ngunnhu were illuminated in a rainbow of colours, Ngambaa Dhalaay performed led by song woman, Bronwyn Spearim and song man, Paul Spearim Jnr.

Then all groups came together with over 30 performers including local kids, dancing songs that were worked on during the Language and Dance Residency.

The Family and Culture Saturday from the air - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Saturday: Family & Cultural Day

This year's Family and Cultural Day was led by Belinda Boney and Urayne Warraweena of the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council with logistical support from Moogahlin including a production team made up of locals, and led by Felix May. Twenty stalls including jewellery, merchandise, art, weaving, wood carving, and all sorts of delicious food were set up for locals and visitors to browse through and purchase.

The day commenced with a Fashion Parade, showcasing original designs by women and girls from Coonamble, Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Brewarrina and Bourke on recycled garments, that celebrated Outback Fashion Month. MC’d by Lily Shearer, who was dressed by Wiradjuri designer Dandaloo Su, local Bre women and girls with guest model, Shaq took to the cat walk to parade by Western NSW designers from Bourke Central School aged 10 - 15 years, Walgett Community College 9 -16 years old, Belinda Boney, Tracey Walford, Rainy King, Bronwyn Hoy Spearim, Dot Martin and Gertie from Bourke. JUNK Jewellery pieces were made with recycled items by the Young Women in the Brewarrina NASCA Group.

Special Guest designers included: Elsie Manson is a Wiradjuri / Irish Woman living in Coonamble, Debra Wood Gomeroi, lives and works on Wiradjuri Country in Wagga Wagga, Maddy is a Ngiyampaa/Wangaaypuwan and Wirajduri artist, designer, dancer, and Cultural educator, living on Wangaaypuwan Country, Nyngan, Debra Beale Gomeroi/Wiradjuri artist and designer living in Sydney and the wonderful Su Lousick AKA Dandaloo Su a Wiradjuri Fibre Crafts and Community Educator from Wellington, NSW, who has been involved in the festival since its inception in 2015. This project was led by Signal Creative and supported by Outback Arts

The models and some of the designers of the fashion parade. Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Special guest artist Dennis Golding a Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay artist from the north west of NSW and was born and raised on Gadigal land (Sydney). Dennis shared his The Future is Here with his superhero capes, and was supported by the Art Gallery of NSW to attend this year’s festival.

This was followed by wood carver and language sharer Uncle Tom Barker, who talked through the weapons made by his wonderful Dad, and the importance of learning and knowing our shared histories of the Brewarrina Mission and the tribes that were forced there. Throughout the day Tracey Walford shared weaving with women sitting down for a yaan with her.

Then later in the afternoon everyone gathered around the yarning circle for dance workshops with Aunty Bronwyn Spearim of Ngambaa Dhalaay doing dances with the boys, the girls, and the adults. Having a laugh and a dance with anyone who put their hand up and jumped in the circle. Boom Boom!

As the sun got low in the sky, the Barayagal Choir led by Yuwalaraay song woman, Nardi Simpson accompanied by talented musicians from Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music, gave a heart warmingly special performance at the Tin Camp Studios. With the sunsetting, the colour of lights lit up the mighty trees and the river in the background as Nardi Simpson and Kaleena Briggs of the Stiff Gins performed an intimate set of their songs accompanied by pianist Kevin Hunt.

Family and Cultural Saturday was closed out with a projection presentation called Ba-Wun: Spirit, identity, Belonging and Becoming on the Tin Camp Studios in a collaboration between Moogahlin and Studio Gilay. The show was opened with a special preview of a music video by First People hip-hop legend Munkimuk, filmed and edited by Stephen Wilson Barker around the area of Brewarrina featuring the birds, landscapes & local dancers from the district.

Then the main installation of Ba-wun: Spirit, identity, Belonging and Becoming played featuring digitised and animated works of local artists Auntie Dianne Kelly, Tom Barker and Tracey Walford. The presentation closed with a teaser of ‘Baiame’s World’ a digital work to be created by Studio Gilay, Moogahlin Performing Arts, and NSW artists featuring Baiame’s Stories from Darkinjung to Ngemba country that will be launched at the 2024 festival. This project is supported by the Art Gallery of NSW and Apple.

Ba-wun projections, with the trees and river lit up behind. Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Sunday: Closing Ceremony Concert & Fish Feast

The Sunday concert this year was led by Warren and Donna Mason who spent the week building their Tin Camp Studios over the lookout. Thousands of birds gathered along the river as we commenced the day led by Donna Mason with a gentle meditation supported by her husband Warren.

We listened to performances by Kelsey Iris, sharing stories about her old people as teachers and leaders, especially her grandparents from both sides of her family, Yuwaalaraay & Murrawarri.

Dobby plays his music for locals and tourists at the Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival Sunday Concert - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Warren Mason followed with a hauntingly beautiful performance mixing Yuwaalaraay language with looped guitar and percussion instruments, building a soundscape that matched the beauty of the ngunnhu.

As Warren finished performing, the fish feast by Retta Ferguson and her team was enjoyed by all starting with our old people and children, with enough this year for seconds.

Then Rhyan Clapham aka DOBBY brought his unique hip-hop and energy playing songs from WARRANGU; RIVER STORY that he performed at 2021’s Baiame’s Ngunnhu festival and last year in Sydney’s Vivid Festival at the NSW Art Gallery. As well as his newer releases finishing with a performance of his track “Energy” that got the crowd up and dancing.

Following Dobby was special guest Lacey Hill from Six Nations of the Grand River, Turtle Island (Canada). Lacey was Moogahlin’s guest performing at Koori Gras and Sydney World Pride. Lacey shared her story and her music in a cultural exchange, speaking of life on the reserve and shared connections our peoples have.

The concert was closed out perfectly with a moving performance by Tasmanian based Yorta Yorta singer and storyteller Ruth Langford. With support on guitar and vocals by Warren Mason. Ruth sang of water and life in language as the cranes sat on the river rocks and the cockatoos flew in their flocks around the Ngunnhu.

Locky Dennis leading Milan Dhiiyaan with the local dancers - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Future of the festival

Moogahlin Performing Arts would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the Ngemba people, the custodians of Baiame’s Ngunnhu, those of whom are with the ancestors and those living today. Described by Moogahlin’s Artistic Director, Lily Shearer, as our ‘Landscape Parliament’, the Ngunnhu has been a gathering place of many tribes Ngemba, Murrawarri, Barinbinja, Weilwan, Gomeroi, Ualarai/Yuwaalaraay, Koam/ Kooma and Kula.

Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival is a social impact project through the combination of Ceremony, Celebration, Creativity, and Protest that has grown through partnerships and audience participation since the inaugural Festival of Baiame’s Ngunnhu April 2015 at Weir Park, Brewarrina NSW.

Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival promotes First Peoples-led social inclusion, artistic, civic and economic participation providing a presiding presence for the First Peoples in the region to strengthen cultural kinship ties. To this, the festival does not sit in this vacuum. This event has broadened an understanding of the significance of Baiame’s Ngunnhu.

We would like to thank the community who have shown up year after year in the rain, floods and the sun and for those who come from all over the world to share in dance, culture, song and food. To all of those who contributed and worked hard to make this festival we are so grateful for your dedication to this community. To all of the artists who performed this weekend, thank you for sharing this space.

The crowd enjoying the fashion parade *- Image By Stephen Wilson Barker*

As the festival has grown we have been humbled and energised by the community of organisations both local and afar, that are coming together to keep this festival growing and continuing culture. So thank you to our partners and supporters including Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council, Create NSW, Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum, Studio Gilay, Tin Camp Studios, Aboriginal Affairs NSW, Festivals Australia, Brewarrina Child and Family Centre, Minderoo Foundation, Art Gallery of NSW, Signal Creative, Outback Arts, NSW Aboriginal Language Trust, Australia Council for the Arts and Brewarrina Shire Council.

The girls and boys at the Corroboree - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

A Reflection on Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival 2023

Friday Opening Ceremony & Corroboree: gather at the world's oldest human-made structure & longest continual meeting place

Saturday: Family & Cultural Day

Sunday: Closing Ceremony Concert & Fish Feast

Future of the festival

Aroha Pehi join Moogahlin in 2023

Ngarra-Burria takes home top honour at classical next