Theatre, Ballet & Dance
Directed By First Nations Leader In The Arts, DR Rachael Maza AM Comes A Breathtaking Contemporary Theatre Experience From Taun Wurrung Country
Step inside a story that hums with spirit, strength, and song. This season, Geelong Arts Centre opens its stage to Gunawarra Re-creation — a spellbinding work of contemporary theatre that breathes new life into the entrusted stories of the Taun Wurrung (Taungurung) people.
From the visionary mind and heart of Isobel Morphy-Walsh, this powerful Mainstage production is more than theatre — it’s a transfer of ancestral energy, woven with care, pride, and deep cultural memory.
Murron has returned to the watering hole. The same one Aunty Aggie used to take her to. Present and past collide.
There she meets her old friend Gunawarra. The Black Swan.
A proud Nirim Baluk woman of the Taun Wurrung people, Morphy-Walsh is a true multidisciplinary force — a weaver, a curator, a performer, an activist, an educator, and above all, a storyteller. Her art is an invitation: to witness, to feel, and to walk gently within the world of First Nations lore. Through each performance, she opens a space where tradition meets transformation, and ancient voices rise anew.
Her lifelong work centres on the heartbeat of community and culture, drawing threads between past and present, and reminding us of Country’s enduring wisdom. From her debut production Gunga-na Dhum Nganinju (The stories we hold tightly) — a heartfelt family collaboration showcased at the 2013 Yirramboi Festival — Morphy-Walsh has built a body of work that celebrates love, lineage, and the strength that comes from sharing story.
For Gunawarra Re-creation, Morphy-Walsh’s powerful vision finds its perfect match in director Rachael Maza, one of Australia’s most respected and dynamic First Nations voices in the arts. Best known as the Artistic Director and Co-CEO of ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Maza brings a guiding hand of care and courage, shaping this work with her trademark blend of integrity and emotional truth.
“Gunawarra Re-Creation serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of embracing one’s whole self in the healing process.”
Dorcas Maphekela, ArtsHubAt its heart, Gunawarra Re-creation is an act of reclamation and renewal — a story of Blak women healing, surviving, and creating amidst pain and power. It does not shy away from truth: themes of rape, sexual assault, violence, forced removal, and genocide are confronted with raw honesty and deep respect. But through that darkness, light emerges — the light of creation, of courage, of continued storytelling.
This deeply resonant work connects directly with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s mission: to amplify sovereign voices through bold, moving, and unapologetically Blak performance. As Australia’s longest-running First Peoples theatre company, ILBIJERRI has transformed stages across the country with acclaimed works like Blood On The Dance Floor, Viral (2018), Which Way Home, and 7 Deadly Gins.
Premiering in 2024 at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, Gunawarra Re-creation marked a defining chapter in Maza’s extraordinary career — a fitting high note before she steps down after an awe-inspiring eighteen-year tenure with ILBIJERRI. Her legacy? A generation of empowered First Nations storytellers and a repertoire that forever changed Australia’s cultural landscape.
Now, Geelong audiences have the rare chance to experience this transformative work up close. The Geelong Arts Centre season of Gunawarra Re-creation is brief but unmissable — with just three performances only, beginning Friday 17 July 2026, featuring both matinee and evening sessions, and closing with a special post-show Q&A on Saturday 18 July.
Gunawarra Re-creation is a celebration of story, survival, and spirit — a theatre experience that reaches deep into the soul and reminds us of the enduring power of connection. Don’t miss this unforgettable moment on the Geelong stage.