Today, artificial light pollution disrupts ecosystems and obscures the dark night sky, devastating First Nations people’s connections to sky country and limiting their ability to share celestial knowledge and skylore. First Nations people stand on the precipice of the world under threat.

Mirning Choreographer Frances Rings and Goolarrgon Bard Visual Artist Darrell Sibosado’s collaboration explores the awe of light, a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. It charts the impacts of light pollution in a climate emergency. Illume asks the urgent question: is the deep wisdom passed down from elders enough to illuminate a path forward from the shadows of a dark future?

Journey with us through a kaleidoscope of images, patterns and synergies into the otherworldly language of light.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Sections of Illume

SHADOW SPIRITS
Light is a language, a symbol of life. From darkness, it shapes form and births the physical world. In the void, shadows emerge, bringing into existence people and place.

Cast: Full Ensemble

MOTHER OF PEARL (GUAN)
Mother-of-pearl lies at the heart of spiritual life and tradition for the Goolarrgon Bard people, symbolising their deep connection to both the physical and spiritual worlds. Its presence and significance permeate every aspect of their environment and human experience, reflecting ancestral ties, cultural identity, and the enduring relationship between land, sea, and Lian/Liarrn – innerbeing.

Cast: Kallum Goolagong, Daniel Mateo, James Boyd, Jye Uren, Donta Whitham, Zeak Tass, Edan Porter

MANAWAN
Glowing in the dark night are the Manawan trees, a medicine tree that signals the arrival on Goolarrgon Country.

Cast: Courtney Radford, Kassidy Waters, Maddison Paluch, Janaya Lamb, Amberlilly Gordon, Tamara Bouman, Roxie Syron

BLOOD SYSTEMS
The concept of energy and light connects us to all living things. This vital force sets a rhythm in motion, weaving together an intricate kinship network of lineage and connection.

Cast: Lillian Banks, Courtney Radford, Kallum Goolagong, Kassidy Waters, Daniel Mateo, Emily Flannery, James Boyd, Chantelle Lee Lockhart, Amberlilly Gordon, Donta Whitham, Zeak Tass, Edan Porter, Tamara Bouman, Eli Clarke

NGARRGIDJ MORR (THE PROPER PATH)
The Bard are saltwater people. They are finely attuned to the living systems that surround them and essence and energy of place. All living things are interconnected in harmony. Goolarrgon people navigate Country with purpose, changing their behaviours to align with the true rhythm of Country.

Cast: Pindan Quartet: Jye Uren, Maddison Paluch, Donta Whitham, Roxie Syron Bush Quartet: Kallum Goolagong, Emily Flannery, Janaya Lamb, James Boyd

NIMAN AARL (MANY FISH)
The whirlpool of fish disturbs the surface of the water. As it builds, the tides grow. A rolling dark storm gathers, forecasting a change approaching.

Cast: Courtney Radford, Chantelle Lee Lockhart, Edan Porter, Zeak Tass/Eli Clarke

LIGHT POLLUTION
Colonisation reached the isolated Dampier Peninsula, threatening Goolarrgon land and people as settlers sought traditional lands and free labour. A Catholic mission was established at Lombadina, where Aboriginal children from across Western Australia were sent, severing their connections to family, language, lore, and culture.

Cast: Kallum Goolagong, Kassidy Waters, Jye Uren, Maddison Paluch, Daniel Mateo, Emily Flannery, Janaya Lamb, Chantelle Lee Lockhart, Amberlilly Gordon, Donta Whitham, Zeak Tass, Tamara Bouman, Eli Clarke

GAJOORR
Fire was the first light. Its ashes are used for medicine and ceremony. The embers symbolically represent a restoration and reconnection.

Cast: Male ensemble

MIDDENS
Tucked amongst the sandhills of Lombadina are middens, evidence of thousands of years of Bard occupation. Exposed by sun, wind and rain, the discarded shells lay in piles, shimmering relics of a sustainable life living on Country.

Cast: Kassidy Waters, Maddison Paluch, Emily Flannery, Chantelle Lee Lockhart, Amberlilly Gordon

WHALE SONG
The humpback whale or Minnimb, is a powerful totemic figure for the Goolarrgon people, symbolizing a deep and enduring connection to Country. Their seasonal migration serves as a reminder of the people’s ongoing responsibility to protect and uphold cultural lore.

Cast: Courtney Radford, James Boyd, Edan Porter, Daniel Mateo/Zeak Tass

MOTHER OF PEARL REPRISE
The physical presence of the mother-of-pearl shell serves as a bridge to the spiritual realm. Its iridescence holds a unique power, weaving together stories and meaning. Through its essence and spirit, the intangible becomes tangible, creating an enduring legacy for Goolarrgon people.

Cast: Full Ensemble

___________________________________________________________________________________

Illume premiered in 2025.