The interwoven string of Wägilak song, dance and story with Daniel Wilfred and David Wilfred

For centuries, Wägilak people from Arnhem Land have performed songs and dances passed down the generations, sustaining patterns of life and connecting individuals to family and country. These ceremonial expressions are artistically beautiful and complex, layering together multiple forms such as song, dance, design, poetry and the human body.

Daniel Wilfred and David Wilfred are two leading songmen, dancers, storytellers and yidaki (didjeridu) players from Ngukurr, NT. Through ceremony, Daniel and David enfold present life into the patterns and movements of the past. But the songs they sing are also concerned with something new. Their internationally renowned collaborations with the Australian Art Orchestra have explored ceremony as a way of making new connections and telling new stories. What they create is truly Australian, holding together what is new and old, as well as diverse voices that entwine together in song.

This interactive presentation, facilitated by Dr Samuel Curkpatrick, will give participants an insight into the richness of traditional Yolngu ceremony, Wägilak narratives and the way different forms of performance interweave. Important issues for emerging artists will be considered, including questions of engagement with Aboriginal people and culture, creativity and collaboration.

The event will include the first Melbourne presentation of the 15-minute film Djuwaḻpada (2019), written and directed by Daniel Wilfred, about the strength of culture and the power of collaboration.

Presented by NIDA and Australian Art Orchestra

Tickets: $15

Photo: Tobias Titz