Tura New Music

This week and every week we celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Tura has the privilege and pleasure of working with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, communities and language groups across Australia and we value the opportunity to learn from and with them.

The 2024 NAIDOC theme is Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. Learn more about how you can be involved this week and beyond at naidoc.org.au

📷 The Journey Down, images by Edify Media

Tune in to ABC Melbourne Sunday Mornings with Lisa Leong tomorrow morning to hear Sound FX Program Director Gillian Howell speak about the Baya Gawiy Song Project and hear the Jirigiyandi Counting Song by Susan Hoad with music by Gillian Howell!

🎧 Listen here ➡ https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/melbourne-sundays

Learn more about Sound FX: https://tura.com.au/projects/sound-fx

Tura is thrilled to share that The Journey Down, presented in partnership with the WA Museum, is a finalist of the APRA AMCOS Australian Art Music Awards across the categories of: Work of the Year - Dramatic, Performance of the Year - Jazz/Improvised Music and Excellence in a Regional Area.

Further congratulations to the team behind Gradient, presented by Tura and Perth Festival and its lead artists Olivia Davies, Callum G’Froerer and Nick Roux on their nomination for Work of the Year: Electroacoustic/Sound Art.

It is a privilege to be recognised amongst our peers and industry colleagues and we congratulate all the other nominees and look forward to the awards in August.

Image 1. The Journey Down Ensemble (L-R) Tristen Parr, Aviva Endean, Chris Griffiths, Mark Atkins, Preben Ningarmarra, Vanessa Tomlinson, Andrew (Pelican) Daylight and Tura Artistic Director Tos Mahoney in Perth on Whadjak Noongar Country
Image 2. Callum G'Froerer in Gradient on Whadjak Noongar Country. Photo by Edify Media.
Image 3. Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool on the Joonba Ground in Warmun, Gija Country. Photo by Edify Media.

‘The more you tell a story, the stronger the story becomes’

Is what was told to Sound FX Program Director Gillian Howell by an educator at the Baya Gawiy Buga yani Jandu yani u Centre as they embarked on the Baya Gawiy songwriting action research.

In this article by Gillian Howell, learn how the project is showing all of us the many ways that the wellbeing benefits of music and songwriting not only strengthen the old stories, but also help new stories to be sung, told, and shared.

Read it here: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-more-you-tell-a-story,-the-stronger-the-story-becomes

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📷 Edify Media
The University of Melbourne Baya Gawiy Buga yani Jandu yani u Centre Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre Fitzroy Valley District High School Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries Creative Australia Minderoo Foundation

Some behind the scenes before the opening of the Warrarnku Ninti Celebration in Newman tonight.

It's a busy weekend with daily sessions of the Warrarnku Ninti Sound + Light Show, Kulininpalaju Soundscape, and the Kujungka Exhibition and accompanying Kujungka composition.

If you're in or around Newman this weekend, come by! Full program here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8_g6KdhsfE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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The Warrarnku Ninti Celebration is presented by Martumili Artists and Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa in partnership with Tura.

The Warrarnku Ninti Celebration has been made possible with funding from Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, BHP, Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support, the Shire of East Pilbara and with support from RMIT School of Art and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

📷 Edify Media

This Friday watch A free evening of films made by artists from the Kimberley in the Kimberley about the Kimberley at the Kununurra Picture Gardens, curated by Alana Hunt.

The evening features films from Kimberley artists Peggy Griffiths, Agnes Armstrong, Brenda Ngingarmara, Vernon Ah Kee, Dalisa Pigram & Marrugeku, Alana Hunt and a documentary about The Journey Down presented by Tura in 2023, as well as a live performance from the Waringarri Dancers.

Friday 5 July, from 5:30pm
Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/share/rC7GhcjQmcgcp3aM/

Supported by Creative Australia, along with Tura, Marrugeku and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.

Kulininpalaju (We Are Listening) is a long-term creative program partnership between Tura and Martumili Artists. The project explores the extensive possibilities of collective listening and recording of Country and culture.

Martu artists and communities and Australian sound artists Philip Samartzis and Annika Moses have collaborated through on-Country creative developments since 2021, and have honed a strong methodology for Martu-led intercultural collaboration in the creative sound art medium.

Audiences and community will be able to hear a selection of the recordings taken over the years as part of the Kujungka exhibition and Warrarnku Ninti celebration next weekend.

Read more about Kulininpalaju and the Warrarnku Ninti Celebration here ➡ https://tura.com.au/projects/kulininpalaju

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Kulininpalaju is a long-term creative program partnership between Tura and Martumili Artists (MMA), supported by BHP and RMIT School of Art.
Photo by Anna Spencer

Tura is delighted to share with you our 2023 Program Report. This was indeed a watershed year for the organisation culminating in the epic Journey Down Tour and Engagement projects.

We look forward to working with our partners and supporters across our 36th year as we embark on the next phase of Tura’s journey.

Inspired by the meaningful impact driven by our creative and community projects? Donate today and support the future of cultural development across Australia.

Make a donation: https://tura.com.au/donate
Read the full report here: https://issuu.com/turasonicarts/docs/tura_2023_program_report_issu_2_

Martumili Artists and Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa in partnership with Tura are excited to announce the opening of Kujungka (all together in one) and the Warrarnku Ninti (knowledge of Country) Celebration.

From Fri 5 – Mon 8 July, the Newman Gallery and East Pilbara Arts Centre will be transformed into an immersive audiovisual experience, the culmination of a multi-year partnership.

The celebration weaves multiple long-term artistic collaborations together to create one spectacular show that features soundscapes, projection and paintings that bring to life the rich stories that over countless generations, colour the landscapes of Martu Country.

The Kujungka exhibition encapsulates the spirit of collaboration and Martu’s collective determination to work together as a community, as families, and as language groups to keep Country and culture strong into the future.

Animated projections developed by Sohan Ariel Hayes in collaboration with Martu artists bring liveliness and movement to the stories detailed in the paintings of Judith Anya Samson, Muuki Taylor, Nola Taylor, Bugai Whoulter, Cyril Whoulter, and Corban Clause Williams.

The Warrarnku Ninti Celebration features three distinct sound works composed from the Kulininpalaju sound archives, drawn from audio recordings made across Punmu, Parnngurr, and Kunawarratiji Country with over 25 Martu and Tura artists.

➡ Read more about the project here: https://tura.com.au/experiences/warrarnku-ninti-celebration

The Warrarnku Ninti Celebration has been made possible with funding from Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, BHP, Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support, the Shire of East Pilbara and with support from RMIT School of Art and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

Photo by Anna Spencer.

Gillian Howell has been the Program Director of Sound FX since its inception in 2017. Read our interview with Gillian about her research with the University of Melbourne, and how the program has evolved over time and is shaped by our community partners Fitzroy Valley.

Read it Here: https://tura.com.au/news/sound-fx-with-dr-gillian-howell

📷 Edify Media

🎧 Martumili Artist Anya Samson recording Country in 2021, and last year in 2023 recording the mail plane landing in Punmu at Wilara Spring.

Kulininpalaju turns 4 this year and explores sound as an exciting and potent medium for sharing Country. Learn more about this creative collaboration between Martumili Artists and Tura here: https://tura.com.au/projects/kulininpalaju

Kulininpalaju is a longterm creative partnership with Martumili Artists and supported by BHP.

Twin Peaks Was 30 by Decibel opens this Thursday.

Alongside a a 30-minute reworking of the original film score, the program features new compositions by Rebecca Erin Smith (WA), Matt Warren (Tasmania) and Rachael Dease (WA – who also sings in the program,) as well a work by Twin Peaks die-hard James Rushford (VIC).

The work journeys through the PICA galleries, filling the space with synth instrumentals and Cruise-inspired songs backed by signature twanging guitars and reverb-drenched soundscapes. It's not to be missed.

9-11 May | PICA Galleries, WA | Presented by PICA and Tura
Tickets: https://pica.org.au/whats-on/decibel-new-music-ensemble-twin-peaks-was-30/

📷 Edify Media

Alluvial Gold will be pitched at Classical:NEXT in Berlin this month.

Classical:NEXT is the global networking and exchange hub dedicated exclusively to classical and art music. Tura are excited to be a part of this global opportunity and wish Louise Devenish the best as she presents this immersive performance that blends sound, projection and sonic sculpture.

You can read more about Alluvial Gold by Louise Devenish, Stuart James and Erin Coates here: https://tura.com.au/projects/alluvial-gold-louise-devenish

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Take over the PICA galleries with us as new music ensemble Decibel transforms PICA into a progressive concert environment of red velvet and haunting new music tunes in Twin Peaks Was 30.

7pm, 9-11 May | PICA Galleries | Presented by PICA and Tura
Tickets: https://pica.org.au/whats-on/decibel-new-music-ensemble-twin-peaks-was-30/

📷 Edify Media

"Tactus was utterly captivating and beautiful, fascinating in its aural and intellectual complexity."- Xpress Magazine

Congratulations to the team behind Tactus on their successful presentation last weekend. Described as a collaborative masterwork, we thank everyone involved.

Read a full review of the work here: https://xpressmag.com.au/review-tactus-at-wa-museum-boola-bardip/

Tactus was presented by Tura and the Western Australian Museum. An APRA/AMCOS Art Music Fund Commission. Produced by Tura. Supported by the State Government of Western Australia through Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. This project was also made possible through St George’s College, Perth.

WA Museum Boola Bardip HIP Company APRA AMCOS Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries Creative Australia

Tactus opens tonight. Created by some of WA’s most exciting recent musical exports Kate Milligan, Jonty Coy and Olivia Davies with HIP Company it’s not one to miss.

On for two nights only, tickets available here: https://ticketing.museum.wa.gov.au/30333/50281

7pm | Hackett Hall, WA Museum Boola Bardip

Presented by Tura and the West Australian Museum

"Tactus is a temporal paradox—it is music that is simultaneously old and new. In fact, the historical repertoire in this concert is some of the oldest western instrumental music that Perth has seen performed for some time, dating from the early 1400s."

We chatted with Composer and Director Kate Milligan about her new audio-visual work for a renaissance flute, Tactus, created in collaboration with Jonty Coy and Olivia Davies with HIP Company.

Read the interview here: https://tura.com.au/news/q-a-with-composer-and-director-kate-milligan

Celebrating four years of Kulininpalaju (We Are Listening!) in 2024. Exciting things to come.

Read more about this 4 year collaboration with Martumili Artists here: https://tura.com.au/projects/kulininpalaju

Kulininpalaju is a long-term creative program partnership between Tura, Martumili Artists (MMA) and supported by BHP.

This April, some of WA's most exciting recent musical exports, Kate Milligan, Jonty Coy and Olivia Davies, take over Hackett Hall with Tactus.

Be submerged in a sunken sound world seldom heard in Australia, as these artists, joined by HIP Company, bring a renaissance flute to life in the 21st century.

Tickets on sale now: https://ticketing.museum.wa.gov.au/30333/50281

19-20 April, 7pm | Hackett Hall, WA Museum Boola Bardip

📷 Olivia Davies (L-R Kate Milligan, Jonty Coy, Olivia Davies).

Presented by TURA and the WA Museum
An APRA/AMCOS Art Music Fund Commission. Produced by Tura. Supported by the State Government of Western Australia through Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. This project has also been made possible through St George’s College, Perth.

Women from the Baya Gawiy Children and Family Centre Program at the Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia have become published authors with the release of four bilingual children's books that aim to share language and culture.

Published by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) one of the books, Mayarda (Pelicans) is written by Patricia Cox and illustrated by Delphine Shandley.

It was originally created in 2021 as a playful song to teach children how to count in Gooniyandi. It was so well-received by the children at Baya Gawiy that Patricia decided to turn it into a book.

The song was created and produced in collaboration with Gillian Howell from The University of Melbourne as part of Tura’s ongoing Sound FX program in Fitzroy Crossing.

Read about the project below and learn more about Sound FX here ➡ https://tura.com.au/projects/sound-fx

"It’s good to teach all the little ones from when they’re little, growing up, to learn their language." READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3vfnxpf

This International Women’s Day we recognise our Sound FX Community Partner Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre (MWRC).

MWRC’s vision is to strengthen the power of women and their families to create culturally rich, engaged & healthy lives for Indigenous peoples living in the Fitzroy Valley and beyond.

We are incredibly fortunate to be invited to work with MWRC through the Baya Gawiy Buga Yani Jandu Yani U Program and Sound FX which explores how music-making can support community goals around language knowledge, wellbeing, and healing.

This year on 26 January Marninwarntikura CEO, Emily Carter (pictured with Tura Program Director Gillian Howell), was made Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division in recognition of significant service to the Indigenous Community through social and economic advocacy.

We encourage you to learn more this IWD via
➡️ https://mwrc.com.au
➡️ https://tura.com.au/projects/sound-fx

📷 Edify Media

“There’s a balance of abstract deconstructed moments and infectious rhythms”

Recipient of Tura’s Composer Commission, Ozlem Kesik has been in the studio collaborating with international choreographer Michele Rizzo in preparation for the upcoming presentation of Coalescing Towards, as part of Perth Moves.

You can read our interview with Ozlem here: https://tura.com.au/news/q-a-with-ozlem-kesik

Coalescing Towards | 15-18 Feb | State Theatre Centre | Free Event
Presented by STRUT Dance in association with Tura and Perth Festival.

📷 Shaun Ferraloro

This weekend is your last chance to visit Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool as part of the Three Journeys Exhibition at WA Museum Boola Bardip. Don’t miss it!

Image of Gija Elder and Artist Shirley Purdie with Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool (Old Car) on the Warmun Joonba grounds for The Journey Down. 📷 Edify Media