Tjapukai auditions Indigenous talent around Australia

Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is looking for the next generation of Indigenous Australians to showcase their culture on the world stage.

Chief Executive Geoff Olson has announced that auditions will be held in Kuranda, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide over the coming weeks.

Olson stated "Tjapukai is offering young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the opportunity to share the culture handed down to them with visitors at our award-winning cultural park in Cairns.

"The successful applicants will be part of the innovative $12 million transformation of Tjapukai into Australia's leading venue to experience Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

"They will start work in time for the May launch of an exciting new day show crafted by Ozworks Entertainment, the creator of live shows for theme parks around the world."

Creative director of Ozworks Mark Eady will be creating the show and will oversee the auditions with the assistance of Tjapukai performer Martha 'Cookie' Brim and operations supervisor Norm Barsah.

Brim, who has been sharing the culture of the Djabugay people at Tjapukai for the past 19 years, explains "I was taught about bush tucker and medicine by my grandmother as a young girl and that information is now being shared across six generations as I pass on my knowledge to my two-year-old granddaughter.

"Many of those teachings are what I also share with visitors to Tjapukai and now other Indigenous people from around Australia will be given the same opportunity to give an insight into their culture."

Eady said the auditions would identify performers who would bring their story to the stage so visitors to Tjapukai could see the world through the eyes of Indigenous Australia, adding "performers could be dancers who have permission from their elders to share their traditional dances at Tjapukai, contemporary dancers, story tellers, singers, ochre artists or teachers of Aboriginal skills such as the making of tools, musical instruments, building humpies, hunting and food gathering.

"The contemporary new show will incorporate the skills and knowledge of these people to reflect the diversity of Indigenous cultures across Australia.

"As well as performers, we are looking for a contemporary dance choreographer, musicians, recording artists of Indigenous music scores and behind-the-scenes staff including guest services, retail, food and beverage, a costume supervisor, staff supervisors and potential managers."

Audition Dates and Places:

Kuranda Monday 25th February
Cairns Monday 4th March
Brisbane Tuesday 5th March
Sydney Wednesday 6th March
Melbourne Thursday 7th March
Adelaide Friday 8th March

To register for an audition or interview, complete the on-line audition form below or contact Sue Ryan on 07 4042 9926, E: hr@tjapukai.com.au, www.tjapukai.com.au

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