August 2009 News - Mimili Dance workshops, Garma and Nyuntu Ngali takes off!

Wai, Palya!

Hey all, While discussion in language arenas continues over the recent government announcement about developing a National Indigenous Language Policy, several exciting events in the last month have kept things ticking along in the other areas of the Ngapartji Ngapartji Project. These include research for new projects, documentation of old, dance workshops, Nyunti Ngali creative development and rehearsals, as well a short performance by some of the team at the Garma Festival in the Top End. For more on all this, plus a personal account on Nyuntu Ngali creative development by performer Derek Lynch, read on…

On the doco front Batesy has done several short trips out bush for a final bit of filming and community consultation. She now awaits the imminent return of Vanessa from Sydney to begin another intensive period of editing.

 In the July school holidays, regular Ngapartji Ngapartji movers Mariaa Randall and Natalie O’Conner joined forces with dancer Gina Rings to deliver dance workshops that supported the young people of Mimili to prepare for an upcoming Dance competition at Ernabella. They did such a fantastic job that the school has asked them to return to help with further development, rehearsals and attendance at the comp in September.

From Mimili, Mariaa and Gina went straight on to join the Nyuntu Ngali team for a creative development and community consultation session at Ernabella. Present were Scott and Beth, on the directorial and musical directorial jobs respectively, Trevor, Derek, Anne, and Ernabella’s own Jennifer Wells as performers, and Eliatt and Oscar as designers.

Born and bred in Central Australia, performer Derek Lynch captures the excitement leading up to Creative development in a few paragraphs of his own words….

Nyuntu Ngali creative development in Ernabella

Day one, Beth came to pick me up from home to take me to the Ngapartji office to meet everyone. When I got there we had to pack all the gear, including swags, and eskies full of food in and on to the Ngapartji Toyotas, even all our personal stuff. But before that, Beth took me around to everyone, not quite everyone, but a few people that don’t quite know me to introduce me. After packing every thing on to the Toyota I jumped on with Beth and Trevor. Off we went down the high way to Ernabella. On the way passed the camel farm about 20ks down the road. The Toyota that I was in had some sort ofthing wrong in the engine so we had to turn back to camel farm to get it checked out. After that we hit the road to Kulgera where we had tea and then hit the road to Ernabella. We travelled to Ernabella that night.  

Well, what can I say, this creative development was fun because I got to meet Anne who plays Eva in the next coming production Nyuntu Ngali, and I got to meet everyone from the Ngapartji Ngapartji team. The first day of the creative development which was Monday, I was a bit nervous because I really didn’t know Anne much and was a little shy. Then Gina who is the choreographer started us up by doing few of the stretches and warm-ups before we went on to starting the choreography for the show.

 It wasn’t much on the first day because I didn’t quite know what rest of the team did back in the other creative development. Plus Scott wasn’t there till the next day, so we fettled around on the first day and got through the first set for Scott to see on Tuesday. Tuesday, the second day ofthe creative development, everyone had to be at the Kane hall by 9:30 am and then every day, for the creating a whole new scene and choreography for the new show Nyuntu Ngali.

From that point on Derek was too busy to keep track of what went down! 

 Back in Alice, as Jane continued narrowing our 13,000 images down to a few hundred for the legacy back, another Ngapartji Ngapartji regular, Sophia Marinos arrived in town to begin development and research for another upcoming Big hART production 'Namatjira'. She visited galleries, arts centres and consulted with artists and relatives of the late Mr Namatjira living at Abbott’s Camp, including young Ngapartji Ngapartji performer and artist Elton Wirri. During this time we also had a visit from academic and linguist Inge Kral to discuss the project’s involvement in a youth media and learning Symposium she is organizing in September. Jane will attend, taking the mobile gallery to display the work young people have been doing over the years with the project.

Jack  Thompson, Scott, Alex and Trevor at GARMA 

Somewhere amongst all this Scott, Alex, Beth, Mariaa, Sophia, Trevor, as well as Milyka Carroll and Linda Stanley from Ernabella, found time to sneak up to somewhere near Gove and perform extracts of the show at the GARMA Festival. Feedback from festival punters reported the Ngapartji Ngapartji performance was a festival favorite, but only a small part of a rich weekend of music, performance, discussion and fun around the theme of ‘creative industries’. Beth and the Ernabella ladies commemorated the event by recording a version of ‘I Shall be Released’ with a guest appearance by festival patron and all rounder Jack Thompson.

Beth, Linda and Milyka at GARMA 

While this flurry of criss-crossing the country has left everyone pretty much exhausted, the action does not stop here. Rehearsals for Nyuntu Ngali have begun in Adelaide for Scott, Beth, Trevor, Anne and Derek, in the lead up to the performance as part of the Adelaide Festival. Previews begin on the 23^rdof September and the show plays until October 1st, so if you’re in Adelaide during that time be sure to check it out.

More news soon,

Jane

On behalf of the Ngapartji Ngapartji team