Sarah is a descendant of the Boorooberongal (Boo-roo-berong-gal) and Cannemegal (Gan-a-meh-gal) clans of the Darug (Dah-rug) nation.

Sarah is a highly accomplished soprano, having earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Master of Opera degree from the Royal Northern College of Music in England, where she received a full scholarship. Sarah has received numerous awards for her outstanding work in the field of music.

Sarah has excelled as both a soprano and music educator under the guidance of Deborah Cheetham-Fraillon (Fray-on) at Short Black Opera. She has an extensive operatic repertoire, including performances of roles in operas such as the world premiere of Itch at Opera Holland Park, Die Fledermaus (dee-flare-da-mouse), Le Nozze Di Figaro (Le-nots-se-di-figa-ro), The Barber of Seville, The Cunning Little Vixen, Flight, The Magic Flute, Ariadne Auf Naxos (Ari-ard-nay-owf-Naxus), and Der Schauspieldirektor (Dare-Show-speil-director).

Photo: Marnya Rothe

Tibian is a descendant from the Warrgamay (War-ga-may), Girramay (Gid-da-may) & Kalkadoon (Kal-ka-doon) tribes from North Queensland.

Tibian is a rising star in the performing arts industry. He holds a graduate diploma and an advanced diploma in Acting from the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts in Brisbane.

Tibian made his debut appearance in Black Diggers at the 2014 Sydney Festival, written by Tom Wright and directed by Wesley Enoch. Since then, Tibian has also appeared in Queen’s City, The Man with the Iron Neck, Country Song, Hide The Dog, The Sapphires and Big Name No Blankets.

Last year, Tibian starred in the 2023 Australian tour of The Sunshine Club as ‘Dave Daylight’, directed and written by Wesley Enoch, and this year starred in 37 presented by Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre, directed by Issac Drandic (Dran-ditch) and written by Nathan Maynard.

Tibian’s latest project Dear Brother is co-written by himself and Leonard Donahue and directed by Isaac Drandic. It will be presented by Queensland Theatre and co-presented with BlakDance as part of Brisbane Festival 2024.

Photo: Simon Woods

Meleika, also known by the artist name Vika Mana, is a sovereign storyteller based in Meanjin. They are from the Zagareb and Dauareb tribes of Mer Island in the Torres Strait, the village of Fahefa in Tonga and many other places that extend to different continents and bloodlines. Her grandfather and internationally acclaimed Torres Strait Islander artist, Segar Passi, has a profound impact on them, as evidenced by the fact that in addition to poetry, literature, criticism, and performance, she also employs visual art, videography, and sound installations to convey her stories.

Meleika’s professional writing journey started in 2018, debuting their poetry at the National Young Writers Festival, and ever since they have created waves, working with renowned organisations and companies such as Spotify, Screen Australia and Instagram.

In 2019, Meleika became the youngest recipient of the Next Chapter program at the Wheeler Centre. She recently received the black&write! Fellowship, an award presented by the Queensland State Library.

Vika Mana’s artistic endeavours go beyond mere expression, serving as powerful vehicles for Indigenous storytelling and advocacy. With each project, she brings to life new worlds inspired by her ancestors and her passions such as climate, disability, and racial justice, infusing them with contemporary relevance and universal resonance. Meleika has been published in several journals, sites and anthologies, including Fire Front (UQP), Unlimited Futures (Fremantle), Nangamay Dream Mana Gather Djurali Grow (Black Books) and Avast! (Fremantle). Meleika works with different mediums and hopes to create an amalgamation of poetry, art and cinematography in the coming months.

Photo: Atong Atern

Dean is a proud Gugu Yalanji (Gu-gu Yal-en-gee), Birri Gubba (Bir-ri Gah-bah), Matabele (Ma-tah-bel-lah) Zimbabwean man born and raised on the traditional lands of the Meanjin (Me-an-gin) people, of Brisbane, Queensland.

Dean’s debut as an artist and performer came in 2013 during the Australia’s Got Talent grand finale, where he impressed audiences and judges alike. Since then, Dean has performed at many events, including BIGSOUND in 2022 and 2023, as well as the National Indigenous Music Awards, Association of Artist Manager Awards and South by Southwest Sydney.

Over the previous two years, Dean has written over 30 songs and collaborated with several musicians, including Matt Corby, Jerome and Jacob Farrah, Pip Norman, Rob Amoruso, Emma Louise, and Dean Tuza.

Dean’s R&B debut single, Falling, released earlier this year has already garnered over one million streams. Dean was the recipient of the First Nation Emerging Career Development Award in 2023.

Photo: Zac Bayly

Badger is a proud Barkindji (Bar-kan-ji) man, born in 1947 along the Barka (Darling River) in Wilcannia, NSW. Uncle Badger grew up in tin huts along the Barka with his Kurna Barkindji (Ker-noo Bar-kan-ji), his extended family and grandmother, Granny Moysey (Moi-see), who taught him their language, history, and culture.

Badger’s art journey began at eight years old when his grandmother taught him to carve emu eggs.

Badger is a full-time artist, cultural heritage consultant and environmental activist. He works within the media of linocut printing, emu egg carving, wooden sculptures, stone sculptures, mosaic, and metalwork. His art shows his connection to Country and the complex relationships between people, country and water. He mixes the traditional and contemporary to create a style that portrays a strong sense of identity and is an extension of a living oral tradition.

He is well known for his public art such as the sandstone Stolen Generations Memorial at Yandelora (Yan-da-lora), Mt Annan Botanic Gardens; Paul Ramsey Foundation building hand forged steel gates with Eveleigh Works and painted ceiling, Darlinghurst; mosaic seats and sandstone sculpture at the Mildura riverfront; sandstone sculptures at Baradine ‘Sculptures in the Scrub’.

Badger’s impactful career has graced galleries nationwide, with recent exhibitions at the Art Gallery of South Australia, Biennale of Sydney Rivus 2022, and The Australian Museum’s Barka the Forgotten River in 2023.

Photo: Mark Pokorny

Mabel Juli is a proud Gija (Gi-jah) woman, born in 1932 at Five Mile, near Moola Boola Station in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Mabel is a celebrated artist whose journey began in the 1980s when she was encouraged by the likes of Rover Thomas and Queenie McKenzie. Her striking black and white paintings of Garnkiny doo Wardel (Garn-ki-ny Doo War-del), meaning ‘Moon and Star,’ a Ngarranggarni (ngar-rang-gar-ni) Dreaming story passed down from her parents, are well known.

Throughout her career, Mabel has been featured in over one hundred group shows as well as several solo shows. She has been a finalist in the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Awards eight times since 1994.

In addition to her artistry, Mabel is a strong Law and Culture woman, an important ceremonial singer and dancer, and her traditional name is ‘Wiringgoon’ (Wee-rin-goon).

Her art has been included in the collections of the Art Galleries of South Australia and New South Wales, Artbank, Auckland Art Gallery, Berndt Museum, National Gallery of Victoria, University of Western Australia, Parliament of Western Australia Art Collection, and the National Gallery of Australia.

Photo: Warmun Art Centre

Brenda is a proud Yuin (yoo-in) woman from Wreck Bay ACT, she is an accomplished saxophonist and pianist, and a trailblazing composer in contemporary classical and jazz music.

A graduate of Sydney University, Brenda’s musical journey has been punctuated by significant residencies, including the prestigious 2022 Peggy Glanville Hicks Composer in Residence program.

Brenda’s impact reverberates through her 20 original compositions, performed by esteemed groups like Sydney Dance Company, Melbourne Jazz Festival, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Her music is not just notes; it is a profound reflection of her Country and culture.

Photo: Laura Manariti