Gapu Ngupan

About

Filmed on Yolngu Country, North East Arnhem Land, in November 2022
Film by Aris & Grimes
Created and produced by Miku Performing Arts, Hui Jia Creatives, Kath Papas Productions & Artback NT

The world premiere of Gapu Ŋupan commissioned by Asia TOPA Festival in Naarm/Melbourne is an event not to be missed, from Thursday 27th February to Saturday the 1st of March 2025 performing at Arts Centre Melbourne, this stunning production is the result of five years of cross-cultural collaboration and friendships developed between Australian and Taiwanese artists and producers.

This extraordinary production and performing team has completed multiple stages of deep development and creation in Australia and Taiwan and includes music producers, musicians, dancers, choreographers, sound and lighting designers, filmmakers and photographers and creative producers from Yirrkala in the NT’s North East Arnhem Land, all the way to Paiwan and Amis peoples in Taiwan.

Bringing it all together has been made possible through the relationships and work carried out by the four producers behind these stages of development being Hui Jia Creatives, Miku Performing Arts, Kath Papas Productions and Artback NT. The relationships that first sparked Gapu Ŋupan was born through Artback NT’s Indigenous Artist in Residence Program which provided artists from the NT to travel to Taiwan for 6 weeks to be immersed in other cultures, making exchanges and lasting connections through Indigenous artists and communities associated with the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Park in Pingtung. This project was

These experiences were reciprocated for Taiwanese artists where they would journey to the Northern Territory and make connections through their artistic practice with people and in the NT. It was in 2018 when the successful artist exchange applicants Rachael Wallis and 桑梅絹 Sang Mei-Chuan would first see the birth of what was first a working title “The Voyage of Bayini”, before years later becoming Gapu Ŋupan, a name given to the production by Yirrkala Cultural Consultant and one of the show’s leading performers Banula Marika.

Created over five years of cross-cultural collaboration, Gapu Ŋupan has been made by extraordinary Yolŋu, Paiwan and Amis artists from North East Arnhem Land and Taiwan.


This project is supported by Arts Centre Melbourne, Playing Foundation and the Australia Council for the Arts.

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Cast & crew

Australia

Director & Choreographer – Rachael Wallis (Miku Performing Arts)

Sound Designer – Arian Ganambarr Pearson (Mulka Project)

Yolngu Songman & Performer – Banula Marika

Musician & Performer – Ngalkanbuy Mununggurr

Dancer – Loretta Yunupingu

Dancer – Ineke Wallis

Video Artist – Sam James

Stage Manager – Jess Keepence

Production Manager – Alejandro Rolandi

Lighting Designer – Karen Norris

Costume Designer – Peta Strachan

Producer – Kath Papas (Kath Papas Productions)

Producer & Tour Manager – Evan Saunders (Artback NT)

Taiwan 

Director & Composer – Suming Rupi

Paiwan Songwoman & Performer – Seredau Taliyaran

Dancer – Piya Talaliman

Dancer – Temu Masin

Musician – Ljaucu Talimaraw

Sound Engineer & Music Producer – Cjudui Tjapalji

AV assistant & Video Documentation – Rangarang Curimundjuq

Translator – Nunung Puhay, Ljius Shiu & Yageh Yuraw

Resources

Itinerary

The premiere of Gapu Ngupan is planned for February 2025 with showings in both Australia and Taiwan.

Creative development took place from June to September 2021, both on Country in Arnhem Land and in Taiwan, with the artists collaborating remotely.

Click the resources tab on this page to view 2 beautiful videos created on country.

Part 1. North East Arnhem Land, was shot at Yirrkala and Galaru, Yolngu Country

Part 2. Taiwan, was shot at Hualien, Paiwan Country

Contact

Evan Saunders

Performing Arts Manager

PO Box 535, Darwin, NT 0801

performing@artbacknt.com.au

08 8941 1444