Spinifex Gum (expired event)

Part protest, part celebration, Spinifex Gum is an Australian festival show created by Felix Riebl of The Cat Empire.

Created in close collaboration with Michael Woodley, Chief Executive Officer of the Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation, Riebl crafted this production, interweaving Woodley’s poignant texts throughout. Led by conductor Lyn Williams, Marliya is an all-female ensemble of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait singers. The music is composed and arranged by Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill, and the choreography is by acclaimed First Nations artist Deborah Brown. Notable collaborations with artists like Emma Donovan, Briggs, and Peter Garrett further amplify Spinifex Gum’s impact, fostering dialogue on Indigenous rights and reconciliation.

Spinifex Gum confronts challenging political and environmental issues in contemporary Australia: social disparity in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, land rights, disproportionate incarceration and deaths in custody. Marliya sing in both English and First Nations languages, primarily Yindjibarndi, disarming and inspiring their audiences in a way that no individual voice can.

"The haunting choral harmony that breaks the dark night, ethereal and resonant, wields the power to silence the audience and, seemingly, to transcend time and place." – The Sydney Morning Herald