Kooemba Jdarra Indigenous Performing Arts produced contemporary performances that presented the stories of Indigenous Australians throughout Australia and internationally. The Brisbane-based company was incorporated with Wesley Enoch as its Artistic Director in 1993—the International Year of Indigenous People—and finished producing work in 2007.
Kooemba Jdarra means “Good Ground” or “Sweet Land” in the Turrabul group of languages from South-East Queensland. Kooemba Jdarra came from a groundswell of support from Indigenous artists and communities for a company to explore that perspective in an all Murri Mura environment. The Cherry Pickers, the company’s inaugural production, was directed by Lydia Miller and featured seven professional Queensland Indigenous performers. The text was appropriated and interpreted to reflect a 1994 Indigenous perspective - to play the dual roles of celebration of story and exploration of meaning and historical roots for the Murri Mura community in South-East Queensland. Enoch and actor Deborah Mailman premiered their ground-breaking 7 Stages of Grievingfor the company in 1995.
Kooemba Jdarra was a not-for-profit organisation that received core funding through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Commission, Australia Council and Arts Queensland.
Source: https://www.realtime.org.au/tag/kooemba-jdarra/ (Sighted 15/10/2019)
