The Journey Down
Presented by Tura in partnership with Western Australian Museum
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), on tour from Kununurra through the expanse of regional and remote WA to its final destination in Perth, where it forms part of the permanent collection at Boola Bardip WA Museum after being acquired in 2020. Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool includes paintings depicting stories of dreaming, vehicles and journeys by significant Gija artists including Shirley Purdie, Gabriel Nodea and Gordon Barney.
Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool was accompanied on its journey to Perth by powerful performances by Miriwoong and Gija songmen and dancers including Chris Griffiths, Andrew Daylight, Preben Ningarmarra, Yamatji didjeridu virtuoso Mark Atkins with leading Australian musicians Aviva Endean, Tristen Parr and Vanessa Tomlinson. The performance was interwoven with animation and video design from Sohan Ariel Hayes.
The Journey Down transported audiences to new worlds in a celebration of intercultural collaboration, the vibrancy of our regional communities and the 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
Sian Murphy
On-Tour Coordinator
Video footage and images used in The Journey Down program by Mark Jones, Bohdan Warchomij, Laure Bernard, and Edify Media
Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool is the result of a six year collaboration which began in 2017 when Tura commissioned composer and sound artist Jon Rose to convert an old car wreck into a sonic sculpture and instrument in collaboration with the Warmun Community as part of Tura’s Regional Residency Program. Read more about the history of Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool here.
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 through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program, and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Photos by Edify Media.
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