Kuramanunya

Presented as part of the Metro Arts and Brisbane Festival 2023 program, Kuramanunya is a ceremony for ancestors past; ancestors who were never given a ceremony in life. Some spirits were stolen; some were taken too young; some branches of the family tree never recovered to enjoy their time on country. Developed by Queensland/NSW-based contemporary indigenous dance company, Karul Projects, (in Yugambeh Language, ‘Karul’ means ‘Everything’) this is a simple, solo-performer piece, featuring the words, movement and dance of Thomas E.S. Kelly, the group’s co-founder since 2017, with Taree Sansbury – who is dramaturg for this production.

Thomas is also the co-writer (with Emily Wells) and co-director (with Vicki Van Hout), proving that even the simplest and most heartfelt storytelling is collaboration. And this group have a wealth of local, national and international experience to bring to the piece. Thomas is a confident performer and uses contemporary moves blended with indigenous dance and song. Thomas says he was inspired by a real-life incident where he visited lands that could not offer a ‘Welcome to Country’ because there were no tribal families remaining. (If you examine the local history of your own area, this could also be the case. It reminded me that I don’t know enough about the story of Bilin Bilin and the Yugambeh Bundjalung people in the nearby Logan area.) The piece’s premise is simple – Thomas is a performer preparing for a ceremony. As he gathers the ochre from his local site, he engages in a conversation with his ‘uncle’, the ghost of an ancestor past, present in the rocks and trees, represented by an ancient monolith, in a set designed by Tiffany Beckworth-Skinner, with powerful lighting by Christine Felmingham. The piece starts with a calming scene in local language, an elder preparing an ancient family campsite – but it is one that will see violence and disturbance across the centuries before today’s ceremony begins.'

Truth is power, and Kuramanunya empowers by telling the truth in a straightforward and clear way – using movement, song and stagecraft to convey ancestors past. For me the piece explains the traditions underlying the ‘Welcome to Country’ – Thomas prepares the ochre, mixes the water, stokes gum leaves for the smoking ceremony. These elements are also represented by a wonderful soundtrack that combines electronics and nature, by sound designers Samuel Pankhurst and Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie. There is bloodshed and heartache – represented through harsh red lighting that bathes the performer as he uses movement to deal with the darker truths of the First Nations story. But it’s poetic rather than dramatic and there is also humour and warmth. Thomas has a wonderful voice and he ends by singing an indigenous song for the ancestors – his own family line, but also those who had no one left to sing for them. We get to be part of their ceremony, for their lost songlines and bloodlines. This piece reinforces basic knowledge that all Australians should be cognisant of. Kuramanunya is a strong entry-level production for those, like myself, who want to see more First Nations creatives on our stages in future.

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Simon Woods