SandSong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert

Under the vast Kimberley sky, the red pindan dust stretches across the desert homelands of the Walmajarri, where the ancient knowledge of People and of Country is preserved through Songlines that have endured for hundreds of generations. SandSong tells the unique story of this Place and the survival of its People. Between the 1920s and 1960s, Aboriginal people were removed off their Country and forced into hard labour for no wages and only minimal rations. Despite this displacement and cultural disruption, the people of the Western Desert have maintained unbroken connection to their Land, keeping stories and kinship strong. This is the Country of Wangkatjungka woman Ningali Josie Lawford-Wolf (1967-2019), an important cultural consultant and artistic collaborator of Bangarra whose spirit, stories and artistic contributions have inspired a number of the company’s works,and enriched the broader arts landscape. SandSong is created by Bangarra Dance Theatre in consultation with Wangkatjungka/Walmajarri Elders from the Kimberley and Great Sandy Desert regions.