Preparing Ground

“What the world calls ‘climate change’ First Peoples call ‘colonisation’” is the watermark embedded in the dance, movement and music piece, Preparing Ground, produced by BlakDance, a 20-year-old national industry organisation for First Nation contemporary dance. This Queensland premiere for Brisbane Festival is the result of six years of collaboration with communities on country asking questions of land and belonging.

Dramaturg, Victoria Hunt, an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist from Kombumerri Country/Gold Coast is part of the creative team who condensed many stories into a whole piece. In just one hour, three First Nations choreographers/dancers – Marilyn Miller (Bangarra Dance Theatre, founder of BlakDance), Jasmin Sheppard (Bangarra Dance Theatre) and Katina Olsen (Sydney Dance Company) – present stories as images that start with the land and move to the ocean, to invasion, colonisation, stolen generations and inherited trauma, to songlines and the land’s DNA memory. These experienced performers are confident on stage and the passion of their shared message comes through in their choreography and movements.

Crucial to the emotional engagement of the piece is a contemporary and redolent sound design by Samuel J Pankhurst, a composer and instrumentalist from Meanjin/Brisbane-based group, Yirinda. The music and sound effects allow you to relax and be in the space, taking in the movement of the performers. The set design by Samuel James uses ships’ sails to create projection backdrops realised by an extensive system of projectors, complemented by lighting design by Karen Norris. Costumes designed by Aleisa Jelbart and constructed by Sally Steele allow for the dancers’ movement while adding to the space for image projection. Unfortunately, some of the Cremorne’s seating layout is not great for viewing movement that takes place on the stage floor, and a few people moved to other seats to improve their view of the dancers.

This work’s creation included a host of more than 15 collaborators from Kombumerri, Kukuyalanji, Tagalaka, Yuggera, Birri, Bindal, Warranghu, and Wakka Wakka countries. Some of their personal insights were shared via a video installation in the theatre foyer, which I viewed before the show. Their message of truth-telling and respecting country was reinforced by a display of native plants, with little seed packets to take away and plant. I entered the theatre holding this thought, so it was curious that the chosen closing image of the piece was the building of golden sandcastles and devastation of country with suburbs and property development. This reality is already seared into our minds, and I preferred the images from the video of a shared caring for the land and moving forward together. Nevertheless, this message was reiterated by the performers as they spoke to the audience at the show’s close. Their invitation to take away the seed packets was wholeheartedly embraced and this was a wonderful way to extend the experience and the group’s important message beyond the performance space.

Find out more: www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2025/bf-preparing-ground

Beth Keehn

Photographs by Jade Ellis, Sam James and Nikita Pere