Bangarra has a long history of telling the stories of our land to great critical acclaim, from the rich, long history of Indigenous people to our more violent recent past of colonisation. But they also have a mission to bring those stories back to Country – to the land that inspired them.
That's why they're staging a free performance of Jasmin Sheppard's Macq at the Campbelltown Arts Centre's amphitheatre. There'll be free community performances and a BBQ from 4.30pm with a sunset performance of Macq at 7pm. The work tells the history of the Dharawal people at the start of the 1800s, who were devastated by the Appin Massacre, under the direction of Governor Macquarie.
In our four-star review of the initial Sydney season of Macq, we wrote: "With its electronic pulse and its stylised, contemporary look, Macq often feels more like Akram Khan than a Bangarra heartland piece – which is intended neither as praise nor criticism. This is a stunning work that adds an interesting flavour to the program as a whole, and which, in presenting a part of the Australian story that has been historically painted over, contains imagery that burns itself into the audience’s mind."