Projects – First Lights

First Lights – Winthu Wangga

Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green

Nicole Dickerson

Sat 13 July 2024

First Lights travelled to the foreshore of Geraldton in July, inviting audiences to listen to the songs of the winthu wangga.

Matariki

ARONUI Indigenous Arts Festival

Cian Elyse White

Mataia Keepa

27 & 28 June 2024

ARONUI with First Lights presented Matariki, a drone light, sound and story event during midwinter at the Rotorua Lakefront, Aotearoa.

First Lights – Kooranup

Yabini Kickett

Cass Lynch

Ilona McGuire

Tyrown Waigana

Fri 3 Nov - Sat 18 Nov 2023

“Kooranup, is the place beyond the horizon and past Moombaki, where the water meets the sky. It is the heavenly shore located in the far west. Our spirits final resting place in the Noongar Nyitting (Dreaming)”. – Ilona McGuire As a part of the Fremantle Biennale’s fourth festival SIGNALS 23, First Lights: Kooranup was presented; […]

First Lights – Buungbaa-ma-ndhu

Kirli Saunders

Saturday 24 June 2023

Award-winning Gunai writer Kirli Saunders (OAM), energizes mugaru (cold winter) with language and light in Buungbaa-ma-ndhu, presented for the Midwinter Festival at Ngununggula in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales.

First Lights – Cowaramup

Mitchella Hutchins & Vivian Brockman-Webb

20 May 2023

Led by Wadandi matriarchs, Mitchella Hutchins and Vivian Brockman-Webb, First Lights — Cowaramup brings an ancient tale transcending space and time. This story takes place in the beginning, when life stirred into existence and formed a great assembly to decide who would be Custodian of all creation. Located on the shores of Gracetown, the bay is […]

First Lights – Boodja Dwordak Wirn

Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation

12 & 13 May 2023

First Lights: Boodja Dwordak Wirn, meaning ‘Bringing Country’s Spirit back to Life’ was led by Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation and the six Wudjari families of Kepa Kurl (Esperance). Across the white sand beaches and ancient granite domes of the Esperance foreshore, stories are revealed of deep connections and knowledge of sea Country. Of […]

First Lights – Nyinggulu

Hazel Walgar

Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation

Sonya Edney

19 Apr 2023 - Cardabia Station, Coral Bay | 20 Apr 2023 - Town Beach, Exmouth

April 2023 saw one of nature’s most phenomenal occurrences, a Total Solar Eclipse, take place across the World Heritage listed Ningaloo (Nyinggulu) region. The shadow of the moon graced the tip of Western Australia, with the Exmouth region becoming host to the most accessible place on Earth to view this spectacle. Preceding and closing this […]

First Lights – Binalup

Kim Scott

8 Apr 2023

Award-winning Noongar author, Kim Scott, transforms the place of first light, Binalup (Albany) presenting a rhythmic arrangement of language and light to allude to old stories, including Mamang Koort, the beating whale heart.

First Lights – Moombaki

Ilona McGuire

5-21 Nov 2021

An epic spectacle of light, movement and sound transformed the night sky for the Fremantle Biennale’s presentation of Moombaki in November 2021. The Nyoongar word for ‘where the river meets the sky’, Moombaki was a choreographed drone light show re-creating the first stories of Whadjuk Nyoongar Country for all to experience.

First Lights – Balarr Inyiny

Jenna Lee

Kuya James

19-21 Aug 2022

Following on from the Australian premiere of First Lights with Moombaki in Western Australia, the Fremantle Biennale’s choreographed drone light show will journey to Darwin Festival, illustrating Larrakia songlines that run down Darwin’s coastline.