A little over a year ago, the Labor government launched their National Cultural Policy - Revive. The first pillar of Revive is called First Nations First, and (amongst other things) it sets out to embed more creative autonomy in First Nations creative industries, build capacity for artists, and allow First Nations ways of thinking and doing to shape what is consider valuable in the art world.One year on, what have we seen and what have we learnt?

Tamara Pearson is a choreographer, artist and mentor from Hope Vale in far north Queensland.For the past three weeks, she’s shared Guugu Yimithirr words we can imagine as three legs of a stool.Today, she explains how her previous words bama, guugu and bubu relate to each other, as well as share a word that means ‘to reciprocate’.

Tamara Pearson is a choreographer and mentor from Hope Vale in far north Queensland, and our language legend this month.For the past couple of weeks, she’s been sharing Guugu Yimithirr words that connect to each other: the words for people and language.Today, she’s sharing her third word – a word meaning ‘land’.

The weight of colonisation often feels almost impossible to dismantle.It’s a burden that can affect the way we interpret the things around us; like climate disasters, to our own sense of self, like who we love and how.Kirli Saunders explores all this and more in her stunning book of art and poems, Returning.

Archie Moore knew he wanted to call his Venice Biennale show kith and kin from the very beginning. In simple terms, it means ‘friends and family’ but in reality, the title draws from their Old English usage.

The weight of colonisation often feels almost impossible to dismantle.It’s a burden that can affect the way we interpret the things around us; like climate disasters, to our own sense of self, like who we love and how.Kirli Saunders explores all this and more in her stunning book of art and poems, Returning.

Tamara Pearson is an artist, choreographer and mentor from Hope Vale on Guugu Yimithirr Country in far north Queensland. She explains how she uses dance to teach language, and why it’s important to tell stories through movement. 

Even though it's an original story, returning Waru to Country is a significant part of Bangarra’s creative cycle.Elma Kris, Jenson Waru Sam and Frances Rings discuss the significance of bringing the story to the Waiben, Thursday Island where it was performed in Kriol on Country for the first time.

Ngiyampaa artist Pirritu makes gentle, heartfelt music that invites you into the depths of his personal journey.He shares the importance of language in his artistic practice, and how competitive triathlons brought him to music. 

From bean-like seed pods to the rib cage of an emu, Emily Kam Kngwarray drew inspiration from her Country and became an exceptionally prolific and commercially successful artist.The Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition brings together public and private collections from around the world; showcasing her most breathtaking artworks and the way her practice developed over time. It also sets out to correct the record, and in doing so, embed the old lady back in her Country. 

Tamara Pearson is an artist, choreographer and mentor from Hope Vale on Guugu Yimithirr Country in far north Queensland.As well as running a dance company, Sacred Creations Dance, Tamara has been working with the local language centre to keep Guugu Yimidhirr language strong.Today, she’s sharing the word for ‘people’.

Marungka Tjalatjunu (Dipped in Black) is a short film by Yankunytjatjara artist Derik Lynch and filmmaker Matthew Thorne.It’s a story of Derik’s homecoming and spiritual healing..One that immerses you in his life as a queer Angangu, and uses Inma — a traditional form of storytelling that incorporates the visual, verbal and physical. Derik and Matthew talk through their collaboration, and how they came to work together.

Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs is an educator, a writer and an important voice for Yolngu in north-east Arnhem Land.She's sharing a word she likes to teach her students at Yirrkala School.

Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs is an educator, a writer and an important voice for Yolngu in north-east Arnhem Land.Merrki has chosen a word that means 'two waters coming together'. For her, the word holds a deeper meaning. 

This is the story of From Little Things, Big Things Grow. It’s also a story of something much more.What started as a casually recorded folk song has become an anthem of the land rights movement.You'll head to Kumbuwal Country to visit Kev Carmody, who co-wrote From Little Things Big Things Grow. You'll also hear from some of the people who've breathed new life into the song over the years. 

You'll head to Yirrkala in north east Arnhem Land with Merrki Gunabarr-Stubbs. This week, she shares a Yolngu Matha word that's like a gift.

How do you hold your culture, your cultural identity? Dancer and mover Ghenoa Gela has been asking herself these questions as a Torres Strait Islander woman, born and raised on mainland Australia. The result is GURR ERA OP, which will see Ghenoa return to Sydney Festival for the first time since her 2018 one-woman show My Urrway.Find details for the Sydney Festival show here.

Warumpi Band helped pave the way for Aboriginal rock music and became icons in the process. You’ll hear from co-director Anyupa Butcher, and playwright Andrea James who’ll bring Warrumpi Band’s story to the stage.

Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs is an educator, a writer and an important voice for Yolngu in north-east Arnhem Land.For Word Up this month, Merrki takes you to Yirrkala to share some of her language, Yolngu Matha.This week she’s chosen a word that  literally means footprint in Yolngu Matha but itexplains the connection Yolngu have to their Country.

Royston Noell makes a triumphant return to Awaye.Australian Idol — which introduced the country to Casey Donovan in 2004 and Jessica Mauboy in 2006 — was rebooted this year.And in 2023, Royston followed in their footsteps.He speaks on his year as the 2023 Australian Idol winner and shares his new song, Dreaming.

Set in 1965, Women and Children follows Joe Cluny – a young Catholic boy who can’t seem to stay out of trouble with the nuns at school. When his Aunt Oona knocks on the door one night, distressed and needing somewhere to stay, Joe realises the women in his family carry secrets, including on their bodies.But Women and Children isn’t just about family violence - it’s a story filled with love and tenderness.

This week Wimiya Woodley shares the Yindjibarndi word for ‘country’.

Dr Shellie Morris is known for her dedication to mentorship, her community work and for creating rich, cultural music.And this week Shellie was one of two people to be honoured in the Legend category at the Northern Territory Performing Arts Award.Ahead of the announcement Shellie discussed how music, language, and community impact each other in her work.

As AusMusic Month comes to a close Karla Ranby explains how a Gomeroi girl from Moree found herself working at the national youth broadcaster.

Wimiya Woodley shares the Yindjibarndi word for his totem - the echidna. 

Miles Franklin Award-winning author Melissa Lucashenko's latest book is a story about 'what ifs' and potentiality.It's two stories, set centuries apart, and between them lies the idea that Australia could have been colonised differently. Melissa reflects on how she delved into dualities for her first historical novel.

Based in Naarm/Melbourne, A Daylight Connection is the creative project of Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Carly Sheppard.Their work - which spills across almost all creative and design roles of performance – is boundary pushing and unique.As Kamarra and Carly prepare to bring a double bill of Whose Gonna Love Em and Chase to Malthouse Theatre, they sit down to talk through the joy of being weird.

A lot of artists get their start in youth programs and community organisations. They can become launching pads where up and comers thrive.This is a big part of Gomeroi/ Wodi Wodi rapper Kobie Dee’s journey – both as someone who came up in those spaces, and as someone who’s built a career around giving back.

Yindjibarndi actor and dancer Wimiya Woodley is our language champion this month. This week, Wimiya is sharing the name of an important Elder from his community.

Mr Rhodes is the moniker of producer Blake Rhodes. He’s a mentor and a prolific collaborator who uses his expertise to bring the stories of other artists to life. Blake composed the music for the theatre production of ‘Flow’, which he’ll show with Mitch King in MacLean and Lismore later this month. He talks through Flow, the Northern Rivers Creative communities, and where his passion for collaboration comes from.

Leah Purcell is one of Australia’s leading actors, writers and directors. Whether you know her from the stage, the screen, or even literature, Leah is someone who can blend truth telling with great storytelling. Her latest work, Is That You, Ruthie?, and is based on the memoirs of Aunty Ruth Hegarty. Born in Queensland in 1929 when Indigenous people had few rights Aunty Ruth has lived a big life. Removed from her mother at just four years old, forced to work as a domestic servant at 14 years old, she was a founding member of Koobara Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Resource Centre, was awarded the Premier's Awards for Queensland Seniors for outstanding service to the community, and of course is the author of several books. Leah speaks on turning Aunty Ruth’s story into a play.

Exploring interwoven stories of land, water, and sky, Miwatj Yolŋu - Sunrise People presents the work of 13 senior and emerging Yolŋu artists from across the Yirrkala Community in East Arnhem Land. The show opened last week on Yuin Country at Bundanon Art Museum where — like at Yirrkala — freshwater meets salt. Ishmael Marika and Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs speak on how these Yolŋu artists have developed their artistic practice.

Yindjibarndi Country is in the Pilbara region of Western Austrlia. Dancer and actor Wimiya Woodley is a Yindjibarndi man and our language champion for November. To kick things off, Wimiya shares a word connected to the Yindjibardi concept of sharing.

Nina Korbe is an award-winning Koa, Kuku Yalanji, Wakka Wakka soprano. She shares how she's been working with QLD Youth Orchestra QLD Symphony Orchestra to create pathways for kids to enter opera, and breathe new life into the genre.

'Winhanganha' is a Wiradjuri word that loosely translates to 'remember, know, think'. It's also the name Jazz Money has chosen for her poetic film that draws on the First Nations collection in the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.  Jazz wanted to re-imagine Australian audiovisual history - one that centralises dance, performance, gathering and protest. 

Hosted by Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Meanjin/ Brisbane, Clancestry Festival celebrates First Nations art and culture through concerts, workshops and conversations.  As Clancestry prepares to mark its 10th year, QPAC head of First Nations programming Bradley Chatfield shares how he and his teams are presenting the work of emerging and acclaimed performing artists and cultural practitioners. 

Emma Donovan is reinventing herself and her style all over again. Off the back of releasing her last single 'Blak Nation', Emma talks though her musical evolution, her heroes and three simple chords.

ICTV journalist and translator Damien Williams shares a Western Arrernte word with a German influence.

Tanarthi Art Festival has opened on Kaurna Yerta to celebrate contemporary Indigenous art, and artists.  The biennial festival features everything from traditional paintings to large installations, showcasing the multidimensional nature of Aboriginal art. Artistic director Nici Cumpston, along with artists Elizabeth Close and Alfred Lowe discuss the 2023 showcase that draws inspiration from the festival name itself.

Western Arrernte man Damien Williams is an ICTV journalist and language worker.  This week, he shares where he lives, and the western Arrernte word for 'home'.

Alison Page and Paul Memmott discuss the relationship between Country and man-made objects. 

Vincent Namatjira explains how he chooses the figures for his portraits. They range in tone from witty satire to sincere homage.

Curator, artist and friend of the late Esme Timbery, Tess Allas explains where her shellwork sits within the broader scope of First Nations art.

Reporter and translator Damien Williams shares a very important western Arrernte word — 'water'.

Anindilyakwa singer-songwriter Emily Wurramara's musical journey has taken her a long way from home.  A lot has changed since she first joined us on Awaye in 2016. She's toured her music around the country and abroad, her debut album Milyakburra was nominated for an ARIA, and she’s won SIX Queensland Music Awards as well as an AMP Tomorrow Maker award. Most recently, Emily won a Live Music Award and travelled to Aotearoa New Zealand for a songwriting fellowship.

Arrernte man Damien Williams is a journalist and language worker at Indigenous Community Television. In his role at ICTV, Damien uses his language skills to bring the news of the day to his community. This month Damien will share his language skills and knowledge with Word Up.

For the first time in more than 50 years, the entire country is set to vote on a decision that could dictate how Indigenous affairs are handled.

The MAKE Award is a new biennial design prize honouring Innovation in Australian Craft and Design. One of the finalists of the award was Carly Dodd. She's a Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjerri weaver and the First Nations engagement co-ordinator and assistant curator at The Jam Factory in Adelaide. Carly's weaving work is called Aunty’s Bag and is a colourful handbag made of woven metallic ribbons and raffia. She explains why she was drawn to weaving as an artform and how Aunty's Bag honours some important women in her life.

As Moogahlin Performing Arts' Yellamundie Festival marks it’s tenth year, Moogahlin's co-founder and artistic director Lily Shearer and playwright Maurial Spearim discuss the role the festival plays in the ecology of Black theatre.

Melanie Saward is Bigambul and Wakka Wakka writer, editor and university lecturer based in Tulmur, Ipswich. She’s also a debut author and one of three recipients of Queensland Literary Awards’ writers fellowships. Through the fellowship Melanie will receive $15, 000 plus professional development support for her upcoming project 'The Next Chapter'. Melanie explains what this support means for her as an early career writer.

Trinity Clarke shares an eastern Kuku Yalanji word that means 'leaf'.

The Visitors sees seven representatives gathering at Warrane in January 1788 to discuss the mari nowee on the horizon — should they welcome these visitors or send them away? Written by Murawuri woman Jane Harrison The Visitors began as a play. Now, Jane has also adapted the story as a novel and an opera. Jane, along with director Wesley Enoch and composer Christopher Sainsbury discuss how they've worked to tell this story three different ways.

Trinity Clarke shares a word from the eastern dialect of Kuku Yalanji that means ‘heart sore’.

Cheryl Davison founded the Djinama Yilaga choir with a simple goal – to sing covers of popular songs and hymns with her community.

Trinity Clarke shares a word that means 'your spirit, your essence' as well as 'to like' and 'to love' in the eastern dialect of Kuku Yalanji.

Blaque Showgirls is Nakkiah Lui's smart-alec, sparkly spoof of the 1995 camp classic Showgirls has returned to the stage. Together with co-directors Shari Sebbens and Ursula Yovich, Nakkiah discusses how the show was developed and what it's been like to refresh it for a new production.

In 2018, Corey Tutt founded Deadly Science, a not-for-profit that works with schools and communities to provide STEM resources for Indigenous kids. Now, Corey's thinking about the next steps for himself and Deadly Science.

Hailing from Maningrida in Arnhem Land, The Ripple Effect Band is an all-girl saltwater rock group forging new ground. Band mates Tara Rostron, Jolene  Lawrence and Jodie Kell discuss how the band has developed over the years and what impact they’re having on their community.

The Journey Down is a performance centred around a percussive sculpture of a rusty ute named Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool. Tos Mahoney and Chris Griffith are two of the people instrumental in bringing Warnarral Ngoorrngoorrool and the accompanying Wangga to communities on the coast of WA.

Trinity Clarke is a Young Language Chamption with First Languages Australia, and Word Up''s language legend this month. This week she explains that the Kuku Yanlanji word that means 'to speak', or 'language of a place' is shared across several neighbouring language groups.

The Stiff Gins hardly need an introduction — their music speaks for them. For twenty years Nardi Simpson and Kaleen Briggs have been writing and performing together in a style they describe as "acoustic with harmonies". As they look back over their career they reflect on how they've grown creatively and personally.

Susie Anderson’s poetry captures profound meaning in moments that often slip through the cracks.

Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and artist from across Australia. With historical and contemporary works from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection and Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art – the exhibition showcases the innovation, the complexities and the skillfulness of First Nations artists. Ever Present opened at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in December 2021, and then went on to the National Gallery of Singapore in May 2022 before arriving in Auckland Art Gallery in Aotearoa.

Plant knowledge holder, artist and health worker David Doyle shares the Barkindji name for quandong.

Gyak, also known as the northern corrobboree frog, holds special significance for Wulgalu people but is in need of protection from the threat of an introduced fungus. In honour of National Science Week, Shane Herrington and Susanna Boyd explain how they've been taking part in a cultural and community focused approach to conservation.

Barkindji plant knowledge holder, artist and health worker David Doyle shares a word that means 'many waters'.

To celebrate the release of her third album Head Noise,  Tia Gostelow explains what brought her back to her roots.

don’t ask what the bird look like by Hannah Belanszky is a new play that grapples with finding identity though cultural reconnection. And although Hannah says this isn’t an autobiographical story, it is one inspired by her own journey of cultural discovery. Ahead of its world premiere at Brisbane Festival, Hannah and Queensland Theatre's Artistic Elder, Aunty Roxanne McDonald discuss how they're bringing the play to life.

David Doyle is a plant knowledge holder, an artist and a health worker living in Broken Hill, and this week we head back to Barkindji Country to learn the word for a very special person.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAAs) is a cornerstone of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. For 40 years the NATSIAAs have celebrated the remarkable skill of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia. Major prize winner Keith Wikmunea, along with Brenda L. Croft who won the art on paper category, and Anne Nginyangka Thompson who's ceramic artwork saw her take home the Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award, discuss the creativity and cultural expression behind their works.

David Doyle is a  Barkindji/Malyangapa artist, plant knowledge holder and health worker. For Word Up he shares the Barkindji name for Murray Cod.

William Barton is set to become the first Indigenous person to receive the Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music, which recognises musicians who have had a profound impact on the Australian music scene. At 42, he's also the youngest person to receive this award but whichever way you read it, the Kalkadunga man has spent a lifetime honing his craft. William discusses the significance of this award and how he's seen the western classical cannon embrace traditional music.

Lisa Sorbie Martin is one of the many local artists featured at BLEACH* — a contemporary arts festival on the Gold Coast that is now in it's 12th year. Lisa discusses her art making and the importance of festivals like BLEAH*.

Bundjalung Nghari - Indigenise will bring together four writers with stories from across the Bundjalung Nation — each presenting a theatrical reading in front of live audiences as part of a partnership between Northern Rivers Performing Arts and the Byron Bay Writers Festival. Rhoda and writer Kirk talk about how Bundjalung Nghari has grown since it began in 2022.

Kylie Bracknell shares the Noongar word for 'older brother'.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the proppaNOW artist collective. Made up of a diverse group of contemporary Aboriginal artists the collective has been at the forefront of an art movement that explores the politics of Aboriginal art and culture. Tony Albert, Megan Cope, Gordon Hookey, along with new members Lily Eather and Warraba Weatherall  were in conversation with Dr Stephen Gilchris at the National Art School to discuss the need for critical thinking and the expansion of Indigenous knowledge across the globe. **You can hear the full panel recording on the National Art School website**

While touring with Karul Projects — the dance company he co-founded —Thomas ES Kelly occasionally find himself in places so deeply impacted by colonial violence that a Welcome to Country wasn’t possible. Places where the local mob didn’t “publicly” survive colonisation and it got him thinking — when this happens, who sings them on to their ancestors?

Each year Cairns Indigenous Art Fair showcases art by contemporary Indigenous Australian artists from all over Far North Queensland, this year themed ‘Weaving our Future: Claiming our Sovereignty’,

Word Up boomerang Kylie Bracknell shares some more Noongar language that means something special to her, and this week we learn a Noongar word that refers to someone of renown, a personal hero.

Since it was first published almost ten years ago, Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu reframed the colonial lens through which Australia understood Indigenous history. It also became the flashpoint in a culture war, and in new documentary The Dark Emu Story Bruce reflects on getting caught in the fight.

Wiradjuri composer and sound artist Naretha Williams started working on her new album in early 2021 as part of an arts residency at the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio during lockdown. Then she found that she had a work that spoke to the insurmountable distance and endless unknowns - Into Dusk We Fall.

11-year-old Noongar Wongi rapper Inkabee and his dad Flewent discuss how they've been balancing school and music, and what drives the young rapper to write.

Writer, actor and language champion Kylie Bracknell returns to reflect on a Noongar word for "watching together".

A late night phone call from her uncle sent Bundjalung woman Shauna Bostock on a journey to uncover her family history. The result is a book, Reaching Through Time, which reveals the cataclysmic impact of colonisation on Aboriginal families, and how this ripples through to the present.  Shauna Bostock explains why she wanted to share her story and what she hopes people can take from it.

Phil Breslin has been meeting weapon makers and science experts to lift the lid on the genius of Australia's oldest and most innovative weapons. With the premier of First Weapons, Phil shares what he's learnt along the way, and what educators and entertainers have in common.

Kylie Bracknell is a fierce Noongar language advocate and long-time friend of Word Up. This week, Kylie returns to share a very special Noongar compound word celebrating song and dance.

As Dharug man Billy Bain surfs his way from Gadigal Country to Bundjalung Country, he delves into frontier injustices and the ways in which saltwater mob continue their culture for ABC TV's Changing Tides.

Bundjalung composer Grayson Rotumah has been an advocate of First Nations music for more than 30 years. For him dance, song and atmospheric orchestral interludes are all tools for cultural survival. His latest work is called Creation and will premier on July 14 at the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra's home, Grainger Studio. As Grayson prepares to bring Creation to life, he reflected on its creative journey.

William Tilmouth is an East Arrente man and the founding chair of Childrens Ground. Ahead of the National NAIDOC Week Awards, where William has been nominated for Male Elder of the Year, he discusses what drives him.

Now in its fourth year, the National Indigenous Art Fair will take over the Overseas Passenger Terminal on Saturday 1 to Sunday 2 July. The art fair brings together remote and regional art centres and artists for a weekend of talks, demonstrations, performances and a huge ethical marketplace. Maxine Charlie is one of the artists who has travelled from Broome in Yawuru Country to Gadigal Country to take part in the festivities. As Maxine prepares to show her work, she explains what brought her to the National Indigenous Art Fair this year.

Kylie Bracknell is a Noongar woman and language champion. In 2016 Kylie was Word Up’s inaugural guest. Now, she returns to share a Noongar word that has a special significance — ‘ancestor’.

David Doyle is an artist, an advocate for the Barkaa – also known as the Darling River – and plant knowledge holder. When he thinks about this year’s NAIDOC Week theme of For Our Elders one of the people that comes to mind is Uncle Badger Bates

Zena Cumpston and David Doyle are two Barkandji artists and thinkers whose work share a common thread of Country and the reciprocal relationship that exists between us. Recorded live at the Australia Museum for Vivid Sydney, Zena Cumpston and David Doyle discuss their connection to country and how it impacts their work.

Kaurna artist James Tylor explains why he loves using his mob’s word for ‘deadly’.

Arrente and Kalkadoon woman Rachel Perkins is an exceptionally accomplished writer, director, and producer. She’s also a respected educator, leader, and mentor. For Rachel, this year’s NAIDOC Week theme “For Our Elders” brings to mind a trailblazer of First Nations media… Alfreda Glynn.

Whem Dr Anita Heiss reflects on this year's NAIDOC Week theme "For Our Elders" literary trailblazer Aunty Ruby Langford Gibini comes to mind.

This week, artist James Tylor returns to share another piece of Kaurna language. It's a compound word, a combination of the Kaurna words for water (kauwi) and brushtail possum (pirlta) — kauwirlta.

Kamilaroi writer Jacob K Gallagher, and Bundjalung/Gumbayngirr poet Dakota Feirer have each been named this year's black&write! fellowship recipients. They discuss their respective unpublished manuscripts, and what it means to contribute to the growing community of First Nations writers.

Yuldea in the Great Victorian Desert,  is a site with many layers of historical and cultural significance, and for Frances Rings it holds personal significance too. That's why Yuldea is the subject of Frances' first full-length choreographic work now that she's taken on the role of artistic director at Bangarra Dance Theatre, She discusses how the work came together, and the importance of creative collaboration.

Dancer and a choreographer Sani Townson reflects on two of his elders that have influenced his creative path and what they’ve taught him about eldership. 

Gillian Moody talks Kindred, the documentary she made with her long time friend and collaborator Adrian Russell Wills that premiers at Sydney Film Festival.

Multi-disciplinary artist James Tylor returns to share his one of his favourite words from Kaurna language. It's a word that describes the action of reflecting on something you’ve learnt — payanthi.

James Tylor is a disciplinary artist with a passion for Kaurna language. For Word Up this week, James shares a Kaurna word that means to prepare your mind for a challenge…

In honour of this year's NAIDOC theme "For Our Elders" Fred  Leone reflects the work of Aunty Joyce Bonner.

Uncle Kutcha Edwards has been blending song writing and activism for over 30 years now. To him, it’s like dropping a pebble in the water and allowing the act to create ever expanding ripples. And that's exactly what he intends to do at his upcoming show at Melbouren's Rising Festival — Waripa. It means 'ceremony' in Mutti Mutti and Uncle Kutcha says Waripa is as much a contemporary ceremony as it is an opportunity to hear some of the best Black musicians.

When it comes to Film Festivals, St Kilda Film Festival offers something a little different. It’s Australia’s longest running short film festival and with over 100 films this year. Fred Gesha is the First Nations Arts Festivals and Events Officer. As the festival kicks off, Fred discusses the programmed for this year and how his music background has influenced the way he thinks about programming.

When No Fixed Address appeared on the Australian rock circuit in the early 1980s, they brought with them a pride and defiance that had rarely been seen before. Their music – adopted by Aboriginal protest movements at the time – continues to pack a punch, dealing with subjects like police harassment, colonisation, and of course survival. Now, the band is the subject of a memoir. Original band member Ricky Harrison, recent recruit Sean Moffat, and the memoir’s author Donald Robertson speak about looking back, and surviving a white man’s world.

Gudanji and Wakaja woman Debra Dank is a mother and grandmother, teacher, and the author of We Come With This Place. Last year Deb spoke to Awaye to celebrate the released her book which is as much a tribute to her family and Country as it was a gorgeous memoir. Now, We Come With This Place has swept the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards winning four of the fourteen prizes including the top honour, Book of the Year.

Mikayala Shaw-Friday's grandmother has been integral to her language learning. For Word Up this week Mikayla shares a little about her grandmother and a word that connects them.

Yankunytjatjara poet Ali Cobby Eckermann describes her work as a "poetic manifesto of inner truth". From her poetry collections like Little Bit Long Time and Inside My Mother, to her verse novels His Father's Eyes and Ruby Moonlight, and her memoir Too Afraid To Cry - Ali's writing is emotional, powerful and healing  traversing the spaces between earth and sky. This year Ali has launched her first publication since being awarded the Windham-Chapel literary prize in 2017 — a new verse novel titled She Is The Earth published by Magabala Books.

Ngarinyman is the language from the northern Victoria River region in the Northern Territory. This month, Mikayla Shaw-Friday shares some Ngarinyman words that describe the time of day. This week we hear the Ngarinyman word for 'twilight'.

In 1999, Wesley Enoch wrote the book and lyrics for The Sunshine Club - a musical inspired by the very real dancehalls frequented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders during the 1940s. Last year a revival of the show was staged in Queensland, and now it's set to tour nationally. As they return to the rehearsal room Wesley and performer Naarah discuss what theatre companies can learn about bravery from their artists.

James Tylor is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work examines the impact of colonisation and the attempted erasure of Aboriginal culture. Using a combination of old-world photographic techniques, carpentry, sculpture and visual art, James says his practice is a means of cultural repatriation. And now UNSW Galleries is hosting a ten-year survey exhibition of James’ work, called Turrangka... in the shadows. James discusses the ways in which themes of light and dark permeate his work.

The last time hip hop artist Birdz was on RN Awaye! he'd just performed at the Sydney Opera House for Brigg's Bad Apples House Party. Now he's set to return, this time to debut a new collaborative project with Butchella songman Fred Leone. Birdz explains how Girra came together and why they wanted to premier it in front of audiences.

Ngarinyman speaker Mikayla Shaw-Friday returns to catch some more sunshine and share the word for afternoon.

More than a singer; Uncle Jimmy Little was a consummate performer who could effortlessly hold an audience — one who's career spanned over 40 years and blazed a trail in the Australian music industry. And now his daughter Frances Peters-Little has released a long-awaited biography. Frances explains how her background as a historian and documentary maker influenced her writing, and shares why she believes all Blackfullas should consider life-writing.

Andrew Gurruwiwi is the shy-but-extravagant, blind, keytar-wielding Yolngu elder and frontman of the Andrew Gurruwiwi Band. Ahead of his upcoming show at the Garrmalang Festival in Darwin, Andrew discusses his song 'Gatjumak' and what drew him to music.

Ngarinyman is the language from the northern Victoria River region in the Northern Territory. This month, Mikayla Shaw-Friday shares some Ngarinyman words that describe the time of day. She begins this week with the Ngarinyman word for 'morning time'.

Since joining the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in 2004, Keith Munro has been a leader and advisor on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives. And now he's been appointed as the first Director, First Nations Art and Cultures at the Museum. Keith explains what the role means to him and how it will shape the MCA.

The National 4 brings together four leading Sydney cultural institutions to present the work of 48 new artists projects from around the country. Some of those artists share their stories with us, including Sharyn Egan, Teho Ropeyarn, and Christopher Bassi.

Luke Carroll discusses returning to Nathan Maynard’s play At What Cost… a show that asks one deceptively simple question: who gets to call themselves Aboriginal?

Bayadherra is the name for the Yorta Yorta Totem, which is the Long Neck Turtle.

The Bleeding Tree by Angus Cerini is a play that hits you like a shot to the head. And now, it’s returning to Perth with an all First Nations cast and a First Nations director. Ian Michael and Karla Hart discuss what drew them to The Bleeding Tree, and what it's been like to return.

Yindyamarra is not so much a Wiradjuri word as an ethical practice – a philosophy about reciprocity. It’s now also the name of a podcast co-hosted by Stan Grant and Jack Jacobs, and run out of Charles Sturt University, which has its main campus in Bathurst — right there in Wiradjuri country.

Ebony Joachim returns to share the Yorta Yorta names of two major rivers on her Country.

For Word Up this week Ebony Joachim shares the Yorta Yorta word for 'country'.

Actor and traditional dancer Emmanuel James Brown is one of three creatives who'll feature in Marrugeku's upcoming triple bill: Burrbgaja Yalirra 2. Ahead of the premier at Sydney's Carriageworks, EJB explains how his great-grandmother, Nyulu Stumpie Brown, inspired his work.

Award-winning artist and powerful vocalist Mo'Ju reflects on finding inspiration amidst change and why ORO PLATA MATA is the definition of a concept album.

Alexis Wright's Praiseworthy is an epic set in the north of Australia, told with the richness of language and scale of imagery for which she has become renowned. In honour of the novel's release, Alexis discusses how fiction deepens understandings, and why she layers stories upon stories.

As the light festival Parrtjima prepares to launch its eighth consecutive year, Paul Ah Chee discusses how Parrtjima continues to find the light in Mparntwe Alice Springs.

Yorta Yorta woman Ebony Joachim explains why the suffix '—pna' is often (though not exclusively) used in place names on her Country.

After spending nearly 30 years working as a midwife, Janty Blair has found a new calling in stand-up comedy. Ahead of the Brisbane Comedy Festival where she'll be performing with the Aboriginal Comedy Allstars, Janty looked back over the whirlwind year she's had and explained what prompted her to get up on stage. Warning: this discussion contains the names of people who have died.

For Word Up this week Ebony Joachim shares a word that is special, not just to Yorta Yorta mob, but also to her because of the people that have passed on in her life.

Filmed in lutruwita/Tasmania, Country is as much of a protagonist of Alone Australia as the competitors themselves. And not everyone is working to conquer her. Duane Byrne's is one of a handful of First Nations people cast for this new iteration of the cult hit, and he explains how the show has changed his relationship to community.

Almost five years since Dan Sultan was last on road, he is set to begin touring again. And with the release of two new songs already this year, he discusses how his career has developed and why this is not a comeback.

From sculpture and ceramics to the cartoons featured in the Koori Mail, Danny Eastwood’s work is both prolific and iconic. He says his art is his heart and his voice – a means of talking about his life experiences, culture, and heritage.  And now, it’s on display at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre as part of his solo exhibition.

Yugambeh linguist Shaun Davies delves into the language name itself and the power of names.

Throughout March, Yugambeh linguist Shaun Davies has been delving into the nuance of his language. This week his word selection has been inspired by our previous guest, Lorna Munro.

Thea has been named the recipient of the 2023 La Prairie Art Award. The award supports Australian women artists through an international artist residency, including travelling to Switzerland to attend the Art Basel international art fair in June. Following the announcement, Thea explains what the honour means to her.

In 2019, Tony Briggs launched a weekend long festival dedicated to First Nations filmmakers from around the world — Birraranga Film Festival. Now in its third iteration, the biannual event is bigger than ever.

The Stars Descend is an ambitious work that consists of five chapters, crafted for five different communities in the south-west of Western Australia. Malgana woman Janine Oxenham is one of the choreographers of the work, as well as a performer — one of the literal stars. Between rehearsals Janine explains how the show came together.

Almost 250 years after they were stolen by Cook and the crew of the HMS Endeavour, four spears will soon be returned to Country from England. Noeleen Timbery explains why this repatriation has been decades in the making, and how she felt when she first heard the news.

Ahead of her performance at the Hand In Hand Kidogo Irish Aboriginal Festival gospel blues singer Olive Knight shares why she's still something on a hidden gem despite having graced some of the biggest stages in the world.

Linguist and Yugambeh man Shaun Davies shares a word you may have come across before but as Shaun explains when you look at the formation of the word it goes much deeper.

Aaron Wyatt is a Noongar, Yamatji and Wongai man from Perth and the first Indigenous person to conduct one of the major orchestras in Australia. But growing up, Aaron didn’t really see himself pursuing a career in music. Ahead of his March performance as part of Musica Viva Australia, Aaron explains how his many skills fold into and compliment each other, from performing to conducting to engineering.

When poet and multidisciplinary artist Jazz Money was asked to write an anthem for a major international LGBTIQA+ choral festival they began by thinking about the community and networks of care. With the help of composer Joseph Twist, it became "This is How We Love" and was performed by more than 500 singers from over a dozen choirs at Out & Loud & Proud.

Yugambeh linguist Shaun Davies shares a word that his old people created in the early days of colonisation.

Yuin dancer and songwoman Sharon Mason knows the power of culture to heal. As founder of the Djaadjawan Dancers, she’s been revitalising Yuin song and dance on the NSW far south coast for years, and inviting other women on her journey. Now, Sharon is realising a long-held dream to bring traditional gatherings back to Country.

Poet and podcaster Lorna Munro's passion for language has led her to understand the origin of words that she used every day, without knowing they were indeed Wiradjuri – words like nyin – for grandmother, which translates to ‘heart’. Her last word is not so much a word as a conjugation, a Wiradjuri term widely spoken in Aboriginal English, but which is now known across Australia.

Drag takes on more forms than there are colours in the rainbow.   And Roymata Holmes is using one of those forms in their show I Am King/Queen – an autobiographical exploration of gender, culture and intersectionality. Roymata discusses how they’ve navigated the boundaries between private narratives and public performance.

Dalara Williams is someone probably best known for her acting, but she's recently been named 2022 Balnaves Foundation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellow. It's one of the country's most prestigious playwriting awards, and over the next 18 months Dalara will use the fellowship to develop a show set just down the road from Belvoir.

The Huxleys work connects the world of photography, art-making, performance and drag and their latest exhibition Bloodlines is no different. 

A health advocate with a long career in the community and the sector, Sue is one of the Koorie Wirguls – a lesbian support group set up in the 1980s which maintained a strong presence in the parade. She's also a board member of Sydney WorldPride. For the Muru-ba Indigenous oral history project, Sue shares her thoughts about the nature of pride: what it means to live in pride, and what she’s most proud of.

Deborah Cheetham’s life story is both fascinating and heartbreaking — and it’s one of those Indigenous oral histories being collected for Muruba, a project for Sydney WorldPride. The Yorta Yorta soprano and composer discusses what 'pride' means to her, and why she's no stranger to a sense of occasion.

Words are something Lorna Munro knows all about — her poetry is widely published, and she’s even translated the King’s speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V into Wiradjuri, the language of the central west of New South Wales. For Word Up this week, she shares a single word that can act as a greeting, ask a question and lay down a philosophical challenge.

Kamilaroi/Bigambul man Archie Moore is a contemporary artist whose career has spanned more than 25 years. Now he's set to become only the second Aboriginal artist to singularly present at the Venice Biennale, one of the world’s oldest events of its kind. Archie explains how he explores themes of racism, national identity and his own family history through art.

Lorna Munro has spent more than half her life engaged in a long research project, to discover how even a monosyllable — a familial term like ‘nan’ — holds a key to understanding how the ancestors thought, and more than that their worldview.

In this excerpt of the Muru-ba Indigenous Oral History Project, Colin Ross reflects on what pride means to him as one of those who fought to stop the shame and the isolation — and the invisibility — that affected HIV-positive Black queer mob in the 80s and 90s.

The government’s newly released national cultural policy is a comprehensive road map that establishes the priorities for the federal government in terms of arts and culture.