Sydney Festival and Marrugeku present
Revealing Broome's hidden history.
Marrugeku’s choreographic truth-telling reflects on Broome’s harsh pearl shell industry and the bonds forged in its wake between Malay workers and First Peoples of the Kimberley.
With shared Malay heritage, Marrugeku’s Dalisa Pigram of Broome and Singaporeans Soultari Amin Farid and Zee Zunnur co-choreograph and perform, collaborating with ex-pearl diver Ahmat Bin Fadal, visual artist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and composer Safuan Johari.
Mutiara draws on diasporic connections to land and sea, South East Asian martial arts and Yawuru and Minangkabau dance forms to highlight the fluid power and resilience of the nomadic Malay.
Bones speak, seas change, ancestral beings feud and deep beneath the surface the pearl diver yearns for home. Mutiara celebrates resilience, love and the strength of ancestors.
Cultural and content warning – please be advised that this production recounts some themes based on the real-life, traumatic experiences of our Ancestors. Parental discretion is advised.
Photo credit: Michael Jalaru Torres
★★★★½ “This is an astonishing work in many ways… performed with skill and passion.”SMH for Jurrungu Ngan-ga [Straight Talk]
★★★★½ “It feels almost reductive to put into words an experience as visceral as Jurrungu Ngan-ga… A potent, superbly executed work that pulsates with sadness and rage, resilience and joy.”Arts Hub for Jurrungu Ngan-ga [Straight Talk]
Concept Soultari Amin Farid, Dalisa Pigram, Zee Zunnur and Rachael Swain
Co-choreographed and performed Soultari Amin Farid, Dalisa Pigram and Zee Zunnur with Ahmat Bin Fadal
Cultural dramaturg Soultari Amin Farid
Dramaturg Rachael Swain
Composer and sound designer Safuan Bin Johari
Set designer Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
Costume designer Zoë Atkinson
Lighting designer Kelsey Lee
Pearl diving history and Malay cultural advisor, silat training Ahmat Bin Fadal
PRODUCTION
Production manager & lighting operator Aiden Brennan
Audio technician, video production and associate sound designer Raine Paul
Company and stage manager Ngaire Pigram
PRODUCING
Produced by Marrugeku Inc with Bahri and Co
Producer Natalie Smith
Associate producer Ngaire Pigram
Co-Producer Bahri and Co Shaifulbahri Mohamad
Mutiara was commissioned by Perth Festival.
Mutiara was funded by the WA State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries: Made in WA program, National Arts Council Singapore and City of Sydney.
Marrugeku is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. Marrugeku is supported by the Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and the NSW Government through Create NSW.
We are a registered COVID-Safe business with measures in place to make your next Seymour visit safe and enjoyable. Find out more about our safety measures.
Everest Theatre
| Sat 20 Jan | 1:30pm, 7:30pm |
|---|---|
| Sun 21 Jan | 2pm |
65 minutes (no interval). Partial lockout applies, patrons may enter at a suitable break.
| Adult | $65 |
|---|
$6 transaction fee applies.
| Adult | $55 |
|---|---|
| Concession* | $50 |
$6 transaction fee applies.
*Pensioner, Senior, Full-Time Student, Unemployed, Children 16 and Under. Please be prepared to present corresponding ID at your event if requested by our staff. Read more.
Please be advised that Mutiara recounts some themes based on the real-life, traumatic experiences of our Ancestors.
Recommended for ages 13+. Contains strobe and haze smoke.
The only authorised ticket sellers for this event are Sydney Festival and Seymour Centre. If you purchase from an unauthorised seller, you risk that your tickets may be fake or invalid.
Everest Theatre
| Sat 20 Jan | 1:30pm, 7:30pm |
|---|---|
| Sun 21 Jan | 2pm |
65 minutes (no interval). Partial lockout applies, patrons may enter at a suitable break.
| Adult | $65 |
|---|
$6 transaction fee applies.
| Adult | $55 |
|---|---|
| Concession* | $50 |
$6 transaction fee applies.
*Pensioner, Senior, Full-Time Student, Unemployed, Children 16 and Under. Please be prepared to present corresponding ID at your event if requested by our staff. Read more.
Please be advised that Mutiara recounts some themes based on the real-life, traumatic experiences of our Ancestors.
Recommended for ages 13+. Contains strobe and haze smoke.
The only authorised ticket sellers for this event are Sydney Festival and Seymour Centre. If you purchase from an unauthorised seller, you risk that your tickets may be fake or invalid.
Concept Soultari Amin Farid, Dalisa Pigram, Zee Zunnur and Rachael Swain
Co-choreographed and performed Soultari Amin Farid, Dalisa Pigram and Zee Zunnur with Ahmat Bin Fadal
Cultural dramaturg Soultari Amin Farid
Dramaturg Rachael Swain
Composer and sound designer Safuan Bin Johari
Set designer Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
Costume designer Zoë Atkinson
Lighting designer Kelsey Lee
Pearl diving history and Malay cultural advisor, silat training Ahmat Bin Fadal
PRODUCTION
Production manager & lighting operator Aiden Brennan
Audio technician, video production and associate sound designer Raine Paul
Company and stage manager Ngaire Pigram
PRODUCING
Produced by Marrugeku Inc with Bahri and Co
Producer Natalie Smith
Associate producer Ngaire Pigram
Co-Producer Bahri and Co Shaifulbahri Mohamad
Mutiara was commissioned by Perth Festival.
Mutiara was funded by the WA State Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries: Made in WA program, National Arts Council Singapore and City of Sydney.
Marrugeku is assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. Marrugeku is supported by the Western Australian Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries and the NSW Government through Create NSW.
We are a registered COVID-Safe business with measures in place to make your next Seymour visit safe and enjoyable. Find out more about our safety measures.
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