Australian-Indonesian theatre production a Celebration of Cultural Exchange between People of Makassar and Indigenous Australia

Six artists from Sulawesi’s top contemporary theatre company, Teater Kita Makassar, will work alongside five of Australia’s best Indigenous artists and musicians to celebrate 400 years of trade and cultural exchange between the two cultures.

Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said the theatre co-production is an exciting exploration of the historical links between Australia and Indonesia.

Written by Julie Janson and co-directed by Sally Sussman and Asia Ramli Prapanca, The Eyes of Marege will be the headline theatre event at the OZAsia Festival at the Adelaide Arts Centre from 27-29 September. It will also be performed at The Sydney Opera House Studio on 5-7 October.

The production is sponsored by the Australia Indonesia Institute (AII), an Australian Government Initiative.

The Eyes of Marege re-creates the hidden history of cultural exchange between the peoples of Northeast Arnhem Land and Makassar through the extraordinary story of a young Indigenous man’s journey to Makassar at the turn of the 20th century.

When a Makassarese fisherman is killed during a fight over a sacred Aboriginal object, an Aboriginal Australian must sail to Makassar to be tried for murder. After five years in prison and marriage to a local woman, he returns home enriched by the music, culture and peoples of this vibrant sea-faring city. The production uses Islamic music from Sulawesi, performed on ancient instruments and backed by the earthy drone of the didgeridoo.

Further information:
John Williams (Counsellor Public Affairs) Tel. (021) 2553 5290 mob. 0812 1053 989