Look out Port Lincoln - SA's funniest blackfellas are on the way with a great night of corka comedy! Kurruru Youth Performing Arts in conjunction with Give Up Smokes for Good presents Nunga Funny, hosted by comedian Kevin Kropinyeri and featuring loads of laughs from comedians such as Josh Warrior, Nancy Bates, Greg Hodgkinson and more!

Quitting Smoking may be hard, but that doesn’t mean it has to be sombre affair. As a unique partnership between Kurruru Youth Performing Arts and the Give Up Smokes for Good campaign is demonstrating, it can be a barrel of laughs and will allow the Indigenous communities of South Australia to tackle smoking through the use of humour has been formed between Kurruru Youth Performing Arts and the Give Up Smokes for Good campaign.

Sprung out of an earlier relationship, which saw the launch of the Give Up Smokes For Good campaign held at the Youth Arts Company’s annual Nunga Funny Fringe event, the partnership will now focus on developing the skills of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedians so that they can tour their routines across the State and the creation of a Nunga Funny website where audiences can view their favourite comedians and keep up to date on Tour information.

Developed over the past three years, Nunga Funny uses comedy in a non-threatening way to break down barriers between and within communities, tackling issues such as racism and cultural matters and more recently, health challenges within Indigenous communities, particularly smoking.

Nunga Funny comedians Kevin Kropinyeri and Nancy Bates, as well as resident Elder at Kurruru, Aunty Josie Agius, are all Give Up Smokes for Good campaign ambassadors and appear in the campaign materials.

“Us Elders love to go along to Nunga Funny every year and having a good laugh. It is a great way to talk about things that you wouldn’t normally talk about in regular conversation and it is always good to have a laugh at ourselves and not take things so seriously.” says Aunty Josie.

“Smoking is a serious issue amongst Aboriginal people and it is good to be able to take the seriousness out of it and encourage people to give up the smokes while having a laugh at the same time.”

Kurruru will begin the Nunga Funny Statewide tour at Port Lincoln’s Mallee Park Football Club on Saturday 18 June 2011 at 7pm. The Nunga Funny website will be launched later this year.

Kurruru is one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth performing arts companies. It is committed to supporting the ongoing maintenance of culture, community and identity through the provision of quality performing arts opportunities for children, young people and their communities.

The Nunga Funny – Port Lincoln Tour is presented by Kurruru Youth Performing Arts in conjunction with the Give Up Smokes For Good campaign and can be seen at the Mallee Park Football Club, Port Lincoln for one night only on Saturday 18 June 2011.

The performance begins at 7pm. Tickets are $10 Adult, $8 Concession.