Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing the Rainbow)Rachael Wallis, Banula Marika and Suming Rupi

Witness the rekindling of ancestral connections in this world premiere performance.

Weaving together Yolŋu songlines from North East Arnhem Land and storytelling from Paiwan and Amis artists from Taiwan, this is a rare glimpse into ancient cultures forging a future vision.

Created over five years of cross-cultural collaboration in a powerful seamless unity, seasoned performers and artists hailing from Bangarra Dance Theatre and Yothu Yindi intersect with spine-tingling songs in Paiwan language, stunning costumes and traditional instruments. Set against a striking video installation, this world premiere takes you on a journey to Country with dance, song, live instrumentation and exquisite, sumptuous costuming, rarely seen and all made by hand.

Co-artistic director and composer of Gapu Ŋupan, Suming Rupi is a multi-award winning Amis singer-songwriter, actor, artist, and dancer, he is the founder of Taiwan's largest Indigenous music festival. Suming's work beautifully reflects the development of his own Indigenous culture within contemporary society.

Co-artistic director and choreographer is Rachel Wallis, a former member of Bangarra Dance Theatre and esteemed contemporary First Nations dancer with over 30 years of experience. This performance showcases her work as Artistic Director of Miku Performing Arts—a company that employs First Nations artists to share and preserve ancient knowledge through performance.

Custodian of the Yolŋu cultural knowledge for this captivating work is Banula Marika, a respected artist and founding member of Bangarra and Yothu Yindi, with 40+ years experience performing as a Songman and a dancer. A Yolŋu man from Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land, Marika was also a Dhimmuru ranger for over 20 years and has welcomed many to Yolŋu country. Teaching and sharing the songlines and knowledge of Yolŋu culture is both a passion and a honour for him.

Gapu Ŋupan resounds with pride in culture and deep nourishment in spirit and connection. Don’t miss your chance to see this incredible First Nations commission.

This coming together of artists across borders and ancestry has been made possible by an extraordinary creation and producing partnership between Miku Performing Arts (NT), Hui Jia Creatives (Taiwan), Kath Papas Productions (Vic) and Artback NT Inc.