Tjapukai farewells Creation Theatre

Past performers and family of the Djabugay people attended the final Creation Theatre performance at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park in Cairns on Tuesday (21st January).

Tjapukai Chief Executive Geoff Olson said The Creation Theatre had incorporated the latest technology when it opened 18 years ago with mesmerising giant holograms adding an ethereal dimension to the Dreamtime creation story of the land's traditional owners, the Djabugay people.

Olsen explained "this performance was ground breaking when it opened in 1996 and I thank the traditional custodians of this land for sharing their story with the many people from around the world who have come to Tjapukai to gain an insight into the unique culture of the rainforest Aboriginal people.

"Their story will continue to be an integral part of the Tjapukai experience when we soon embark on the second stage of the park's $12 million redevelopment.

"This will include the redesign of the Creation Theatre into a central performance space and the creation of a new high-tech production using a mapped-projection animated environment and performers to transport the audience into the ancient world of the Djabugay people.

"Until this space is complete the public will be able to see a new performance called Art My People which highlights the different artistic styles of Indigenous Australia and shows how their art is transformed into totems which are painted on the body.

"The new show will focus on the Djabugay people's strong links with their totems through an artistic recreation of a totem ceremony featuring performers showing their personal totems for the audience."

Olson said stage two of the redevelopment would be planned to allow Tjapukai to remain open and continue to offer cultural experiences from different areas of the park's extensive grounds at Caravonica, only 15 minutes from Cairns city in Tropical North Queensland.

For more information go to www.tjapukai.com.au/

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