Yaama Ngunna Baaka — Welcome to Our River

VENUE: 107 Redfern

The north-west river communities have been devastated by water stealing by big cotton farmers and irrigators.

In the lead up to NAIDOC Week, this gallery exhibition will showcase river stories and raise funds for the Water for the Rivers corroboree campaign.

Yaama (Ngemba language - Brewarrina)
Ngunna (Budjiti, Muruwari language - Enngonia and Weilmoringle)
Barka (Barkangi language - Wilcannia)

A portion of artwork sales will go to Water for the Rivers, a corroboree which will travel from Walgett, through Brewarrina and Bourke, to Wilcannia in October to call attention to water management issues.

Special events

Morning tea & artist talk
Friday 5th July | From 11am

Screening and speeches
Saturday 6th July | 2-3pm
Artist Bruce Shillingsworth will be joined by a number of speakers (TBA) to close the exhibition, alongside a short screening of the Yaama Ngunna Barka documentary.

Screening and panel: Undermined - Tales from the Kimberley
Saturday 6th July | From 3pm
107 Presents: Film and Food, a free afternoon screening followed by a hearty meal. This month, we will be showing the documentary Undermined - Tales from the Kimberley, followed by a Q&A panel with Bruce Shillingsworth and filmmaker Stephanie King.

Gallery open Tuesday – Sunday, 11am-5pm.

Bruce's work will also appear in the Windowbox for the duration of NAIDOC Week, and the Yaama Ngunna Barka documentary will be available to view during this time.

About the Artist

Bruce Shillingsworth is a Muruwari and Budjiti man, a talented artist and water for the rivers activist.

His country is the north-west NSW river lands that hug the Namoi, Barwon, Darling Rivers; Brewarrina, Bourke, Enngonia, Wilcannia and Walgett.

Bruce’s family are painters, dancers and rainmakers. Bruce is a cultural educator in Sydney and leads a cultural revival dance group in the north-west.

This exhibition includes work from Bruce's daughters and granddaughter.

Image credit Rory McLeod.