The Journey Down
The Journey Down was an animated and vibrant celebration of dance, song, projections and otherworldly sound coming together to transform an old bush wreck into a travelling canvas of story and culture.
Six years in the making, the Journey Down tour featured the sonic sculpture Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool (Gija for “old car”), which toured from Kununurra across the vast regional and remote areas of Western Australia to its final destination in Perth. There, it became part of the permanent collection at Boola Bardip WA Museum after being acquired in 2020. Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool included paintings depicting dreaming stories, vehicles, and journeys by renowned Gija artists Shirley Purdie, Gabriel Nodea, and Gordon Barney.
The sculpture’s journey to Perth was accompanied by powerful performances from Miriwoong and Gija songmen and dancers, including Chris Griffiths, Andrew Daylight, and Preben Ningarmarra, alongside Yamatji didjeridu virtuoso Mark Atkins and leading Australian musicians Aviva Endean, Tristen Parr, and Vanessa Tomlinson. The performance was interwoven with animation and video design by Sohan Ariel Hayes.
The Journey Down transported audiences to new worlds through its celebration of intercultural collaboration, the vitality of regional communities, and the enduring stories and sounds that connect us.
Journey Down Creative Team
Madeline Purdie
Gija Producer and Cultural Advisor
Chris Griffiths
Miriwoong and Ngali-wurru dancer, singer, storyteller/ cultural advisor
Andrew (Pelican) Daylight
Gija dancer, singer, storyteller and painter
Vernon Nulgit
Dance (Gija)
Preben Ningarmarra
Dance (Miriwoong)
Mark Atkins
Didjeridu (Yamatji)
Vanessa Tomlinson
Performer/composer, percussion
Aviva Endean
Performer/composer, clarinet, built instruments
Tristen Parr
Performer/composer, acoustic and electric cello
Sohan Hayes
Video and animation
Tos Mahoney
Creative Producer
Journey Down Production Team
Melanie Naumoff
Tour Manager
James Savage
Production Manager / Lighting Designer
Tristen Parr
Technical Producer
Tim Collins
Sound Engineer
Guy Smith
Sound Advisor
Jada Koh
Tour Assistant
Justin Marshall
Production Assistant
Reaching Out Community Engagement Program
Tara Gower
Community Engagement Coordinator
Jada Koh
On-Tour Coordinator
On-Tour Coordinator
Video footage and images used in The Journey Down program by Mark Jones, Bohdan Warchomij, Laure Bernard, and Edify Media
Tura acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and create. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. With solidarity and friendship we say thank you.
The Journey Down tour has been supported by the State Government of Western Australia and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Photos by Edify Media.
