SongRites Song Spirals

Rosealee Pearson is a Manggalili women and interdisciplinary artist from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land. A graduate of NAISDA Dance College she has worked across many disciplines as a dancer, director, actor, tour manager, event co-ordinator, stage manager, choreographer and cultural consultant, producer, festival coordinator. Rosealee has worked with Insite Arts, Belvoir St. Theatre, Urban Theatre Projects, Shaktidharan Sivanathan, Curious Works, Performance Space, Bells Shakespeare Company, Boomerang Festival, Sydney Festival, East Arnhem Live, Aris & Grimes. In 2021 Rosealee created Wanha! Journey to Arnhem: a live audio visual work featuring an intergenerational collective of musical talent from Arnhem Land. The show premiered at Darwin Festival in 2021 and was presented at the Sydney Opera House in 2022.

Andrew Grimes is a Musician, Producer, Composer and Recording Engineer based in Yirrkala, NT. He is a founding member of the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band. He worked as the senior producer for ARDS/Yolŋu Radio from 2015 to 2019, and since founded the company Aris & Grimes, providing music and film production services in East Arnhem Land. Highlights include the 2018 NIMA for best traditional album for ‘Buku- wathunawuy Niniŋgu Rom: Ancient Languages New Sounds’ which he recorded and co-produced alongside longtime collaborator Andrew Gurruwiwi. He also produced and recording the 2020 hit online concert series ‘East Arnhem Live’. Andrew co-directed the audio-visual show ‘Wanha! Journey to Arnhem’ alongside Rosealee Pearson, which debuted at Darwin Festival in 2021 and went to Sydney Opera House in 2022. Andrew has produced a number of records with East Arnhem Land artists, some highlights include co-producing the 2019 Bärra West Wind album ‘Djoŋgirriny’ alongside Stu Kellaway from Yothu Yindi, and in 2021 was associate producer on Yirrmal’s debut album alongside Andrew Farris from INXS. Andrew is currently finalising the debut album from the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band, which he is co-producing with Julian Bel Bachir.

Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr Stubbs is a proud Yolŋu woman and leader from North East Arnhem Land. She has written 7 books. Her children’s books are written in Yolŋu Matha for use in primary schools as Walking Talking texts. She plays an important role in the bilingual education movement in Arnhem Land working with Yolŋu Elders to develop both-ways learning. Her latest book Song Spirals was the joint winner for the Prime Ministers Literacy Award 2020. She is also a singer, actor, and artist most recently as narrator for Wanha! Journey to Arnhem as a part of Darwin Festival 2021. She is one of the authors of Songlines, the book that inspired this work.

Djawundil is from the Gumatj clan. Djawundil Maymuru is a co-author of books Songspirals, Welcome to My Country and Weaving Lives Together. Djawundil currently works with Bawaka Cultural Experiences, a highly successful Yolŋu owned and-run Indigenous tourism business. As a key member of the business, she works with visitors to Bawaka to share life at Bawaka with them, helping them understand and respect Yolŋu culture and land. She is a college graduate and has been on the board of Laynhapuy Homeland Association. Djawundil has also been invited to share Yolŋu knowledge at conferences and seminars in New Zealand, Canberra, Sydney and Newcastle. Djawundil is a member of an Indigenous academic collaboration with academics from Macquarie University and the University of Newcastle and is an Honorary Associate of the Department of Environment and Geography at Macquarie University.

Henrietta Baird is a Kuku Yalanji woman from Far North Queensland and a 2005 graduate of NAISDA Dance College. She has performed in major productions across Australia, including Stolen, My Right Foot Your Right Foot, Pop Whistle Crack, The Stirring, Dancing Smoke, and Divercity, which toured nationally and internationally.

In 2017, Henrietta was selected for the Yellamundie Festival, where she wrote her first play The Weekend, which premiered at Sydney Festival in 2019. She also presented work internationally at the Weesageechak Festival in Toronto and performed in the U.S. with Miriki Dance Company and the Pomo First Nations, exploring cultural connections through performance.

Her recent work includes Plant a Promise, presented at Carriageworks, and Song Spirals with Rosealee Pearson, which took her to London for further development. Henrietta also performed in Hack the Anthropocene at Sydney Festival and contributed to a First Nations performance at the Singapore Art Gallery.

Beyond the stage, Henrietta is part of the Indigenous Education team at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, where she leads tours and develops programs focused on native bush plants and Aboriginal history.

Maddison Fraser is a proud Palyku and Yindjibarndi woman from the Pilbara region of Western Australia. She was raised on Whadjuk Country in Perth and is now living on Darkinjung Country on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Maddison is currently studying at NAISDA Dance College, undertaking the Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance Performance. She has completed industry placements at Critical Path, working with Jasmin Sheppard, Jasmine Gulash, and Vicki Van Hout to explore Indigenous dramaturgy through a series of workshops. Her performance credits include the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Vivid Sydney, and Hysteria, where she worked with acclaimed choreographers such as Angie Diaz, Deon Hastie, and Sue Healy. Maddison is passionate about sharing her culture and stories through dance.

Brianna Kemmerling is a proud Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and German descendant. Her family line stretches from Wik-Waya through Kaanju, Ankamuthi, Yupungathi, Taepadhighi, and Darnley (Erub) Island. Mid 2022 Brianna was a part of the first class to graduate Advance Diploma from NAISDA Dance College after 4 1/2 years of training. She debuted her professional journey as an independent artist with NT Dance Company “Forbidden” (2021), followed by “Waŋa” (2022). Late 2022 Brianna also began her journey with Culture College as she continues to educate and inspire the youth of her generation. In 2023 Brianna was the annual recipient for the Lucy Guerin Inc’s First Nations Graduate Internship, where she was able to experience and build connections with Lucy Guerin Inc and Joel Bray Dance. Most recently Brianna traveled to Hawai’i with the Australian Delegation to participate in the Pacific Arts Festival 2024 to exchange cultural dance, music, fashion, ect and celebrate over 20 other pacific arts delegations coming together as one. In between Brianna has engaged in many other projects, programs and developments within Australia as she looks forward to future creations.

Harlisha Newie-Joe is a proud Zenadth Kes woman from Mabuyag and Badu Islands, belonging to the Goemu and Wagadagam tribes. Raised in Weipa on Alngith Country, she now lives on Darkinjung Country on the NSW Central Coast.

Currently in her fourth year at NAISDA Dance College, Harlisha is completing her Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance Performance. She has trained under artists including Angie Diaz, Jasmin Sheppard, and Lee Serle.

In 2023, she performed with Jannawi Dance Clan at DanceRites, was selected for the Sharp Short Dance film program, and completed a secondment with Bangarra Dance Theatre. In 2024, she received the Perth Moves Bursary and trained with leading choreographers such as Nick Coutsier, Ta’alili (Aotearoa), and Daniel Riley (ADT).

Most recently, Harlisha represented First Nations Australia at the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) in Hawai’i, performing with Arpaka Dance Company, led by Dujon Nuie.