Bangarra Dance Theatre has been awarded the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement in dance at the Venice Biennale, a major international honour that places Australia’s leading Indigenous dance company in rare company on the global stage.
The Golden Lion will be presented during Venice Danza, the international festival of contemporary dance that begins in July. According to the Venice Biennale, the award recognises artistic excellence and influence and Bangarra’s recognition follows years of international touring and acclaimed productions grounded in First Nations storytelling.
Bangarra artistic director and Mirning choreographer Frances Rings described the award as a “validation of the important role of Bangarra in bringing First Nations stories to the stage and the responsibility that we carry”. She said the company’s motivation has never been trophies. “It’s quite emotional because Bangarra doesn’t do what it does to receive awards” Rings said.
Rings pointed instead to community accountability as the company’s true measure of success. “The reward for us is the validation from our communities and from our Elders” she said, adding that impact is seen when audiences’ “perceptions change and shift and they become our allies and support First Nations people.”
The Venice Biennale’s outgoing dance director, Wayne McGregor, praised Bangarra in a statement as a company that has “caused a seismic shift in our understanding of dance and the cultural context in which it is performed,” highlighting the way its work has challenged audiences and institutions to reconsider whose stories are valued and centred.
Bangarra’s recognition is also tied to its ongoing creative output. The company is set to present the European premiere of Terrain at Venice Danza – a work that examines the impacts of colonisation on Country and the role of Indigenous knowledges in caring for land and waters. Rings said Bangarra’s broader work remains unfinished. “But we still have a lot of work to do,” she said. “Our role as truth-tellers is to give a platform and voice to those stories and create a better understanding and awareness so that we get constructive change that benefits our people and communities.”
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