'Join four mainland-born Torres Strait Islander women as they battle against the rising tide threatening their home, culture and identity. GURR ERA OP (“the face of the sea” in Meriam Mir) is a celebratory sharing of culture and a call to action in the face of climate devastation, interweaving hybrid Torres Strait Islander contemporary storytelling, movement and spoken word.
'What would you do if you could never go home? Is your culture bound by place or by self? What happens to your identity when the physical place that holds your ancestral foundations disappears?
'These are some of the questions the storytellers grapple with daily as they watch their motherland, family and communities suffer the onslaught of climate change. The Torres Strait Islands are currently on the front lines – but ultimately, your home is next.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Presented by Force Majeure and Ilbijerri Theatre Company at Sydney Festival (world premiere), 13-19 January 2024 at Bangarra Dance Theatre, Studio 1, Sawes Point, Sydney.
Director: Ghenoa Gela.
Associate Director: Amy Sole (Creative Associate, ILBIJERRI Theatre Company).
Artistic Consultant: Danielle Micich (Force Majeure).
Production Manager: Mark Haslam.
Set Designer: Katy Moir.
Costume Designer: Lisa Fa'alafi.
Costume Associate: Anthony Aitch.
Lighting Designer: Kelsey Lee.
Composer and Sound Designer: Ania Reynolds.
Cast: Ghenoa Gela, Taryn Beatty, Berthalia Selina Reuben, and Aba Bero.
Elders / Cultural Consultants / Advisors: Anson Jack Gela, Annie Gela, Agnes Santo, Meo Sailor, Mua Sailor, Nancy Nawie, Patricia Dow, Sarah Gela, and Joshua Thaiday.