Ya’Djin Spirit Women

With both their one-day-only performances of Ya’Djin Spirit Women sold out, The First Creatives are definitely an inspirational force to be reckoned with. This was their first full-length production at BEMAC, Brisbane’s welcoming multicultural centre, somewhat hidden underneath the Story Bridge. The talented group’s dancers are Allirah Fisher, Maddy Fisher, Erika Jayne Goldsmith, Kahli Coolwell, Vanessa Coolwell, and Rebekah Holdaway. The young performers work with elders as an intergenerational group of artists who tell First Nations women’s stories and experiences. For Ya’Djin Spirit Women, the group take inspiration from discussions with two of their elder Aunties – Kabi Kabi/Kuku Yalanji Aunty Sharyn Malone, and Gooreng Gooreng/Kabi Kabi Aunty Chantay Link – as they share their family experiences and memories of their Grandmothers as well as their own experiences as Grandmothers who hope to pass on positive messages to the next generation.

The show honours the spirits of Grandmothers – the women who, despite traumas in their own lives (part of the generation stolen from their families), remain a healing influence on the grandchildren they often bring up as ripples of trauma influence generation after generation. And so it was jarring, but fitting that the stage performance started with a minute’s silence to honour our grandmothers. But first we gathered outside the building for a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country by Gavin and Dean Tyson from the Quandamooka tribe in South East Queensland. It was a welcoming, spiritual and calming way to set the scene for performance to come.

Then the First Creatives took to the stage to enact scenes from generational experience, punctuated with a video discussion by the Aunties. The dancers started dressed in plain calico shifts, garb designed by Colonial forces to remove their individuality. We are taken back to their time living on country, the distinctive winding shape of the Brisbane River represented by a rope on the stage. The happy and powerful young girls are thrown into disarray when two are stolen and enslaved, forced into a world of servitude. The ripples of trauma take them into relationships of domestic violence, but eventually into friendships and a sisterhood of sharing stories, before reaching empowerment again. This journey is represented through dance featuring a stunning blend of modern and traditional indigenous movement. Costumes were simple but effective, moving from calico shifts to colourful dresses as the women regain their creativity away from oppression.

Powerful songs on the dance soundtrack feature hymns, traditional indigenous songs, country, spirituals and an ingenious rap with a loop of magpie song. It was inspirational, and I hope this show can be taken through creative development to a wider production featuring live music and live action representing the Aunties’ conversation, perhaps through scripted performances based on their words of wisdom.

While the Aunties admit that they wish their sons and grandsons had experienced greater leadership and love from male role models, they are ready to pass on as much positive healing as they can. It is clear that this group of young women – the dancers themselves as well as the characters they represent on stage – are survivors and use their culture and elders as inspiration for positive action. But the men are not forgotten either. At the end of the performance, Uncle Barry Tanner took to the stage to ask the men in the audience to stand up and show their support for their sisters and daughters and mothers. This formed a powerful ending as men from the audience helped the performers clean up the mess of rope and costumes that had been strewn in disarray, before finally singing, dancing and celebrating together.

This was my first visit to BEMAC and I’ll certainly be back to experience its welcoming atmosphere. The bar and foyer area is spacious and includes an art exhibition space, and I encourage audiences who are interested in our Australian multicultural arts scene to visit as soon as they can. For this show, talented dancers, Allirah Fisher and Maddy Fisher, also worked as Artistic Director and Lead Choreographer. Creative Producer was Erika Jayne Goldsmith, with Eyal Chipkiewicz, Producer at BEMAC.

The First Creatives is a new First Nations creative and performing arts company. Their aim is to pass down cultural and contemporary creative skills. They also provide creative classes to the next generation. In First Nations language, Ya’Djin, means ‘speak’, and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we hear the voices of this creative group.  

Beth Keehn

Photographer: Ange Costes

Find out what’s on at BEMAC: https://bemac.org.au/events