Kurruru Youth Performing Arts launches it’s new benefactor program inviting everyone to become their Friend.

Everybody needs friends and Kurruru Youth Performing Arts is no different, and now with the launch of their new benefactors program they are inviting people to join their Circle of Friends.

Anyone, Abororiginal, Torres Strait Islander or non-ATSI, can now become part of Kurruru support the company’s work for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Kurruru’s Circle of Friends is Kurruru’s new benefactor program, established to invite people to help Kurruru in its work of supporting the artistic and cultural development of ATSI young people. By entering Kurruru’s Circle of Friends members you will be assisting Kurruru to continue its work with communities across South Australia.

Kurruru knows how to treat its friends, and by becoming part of Kurruru's Circle of Friends, members will have the opportunity to gain priority access to Kurruru performance work, be invited to check out our latest works in development, be part of special Friends ONLY events, and more.

Best of all friends will know that they are part of supporting the ongoing development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth performing arts.

The become our Friend check go to Kurruru’s website and download a membership form or contact Kurruru on 08 8341 1150 or by email at info@kurruru.org.au

Kurruru Youth Performing Arts is now online with the launch of its deadly new website

After much development, and hot on the back of the launch of the company’s new branding and logo , Kurruru Youth Performing Arts is pleased to announce the launch of its new website.

Featuring a Coming Events Calendar to help audiences keep up to date with Kurruru’s future performances as well as an extensive image gallery allowing viewers to relive past performances and projects.

The website also provides the ability to purchase the company’s growing range of products including the popular DVD of 2007’s Second to None – an Aboriginal and Maritime Journey as well as downloads of Blak Traks 05 and Blak Traks 08 featuring work from young Aboriginal performers from across South Austalia.’

Check out all the features and be sure to bookmark the site, keeping an eye out for future developments as it grows and develops. Or follow Kurruru on Twitter or Facebook.

See it all at www.kurruru.org.au

Nunga Funny, Kurruru’s night of stand-up comedy comes to Tandanya, showcasing some of the funniest blackfullas around on Wednesday 10 March as part of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Kurruru’s has been running Nunga Funny as part of the Adelaide Fringe since 2008. The event grew from workshops run for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comedians by then-Director, Diat Alferink to prepare local comedians to take part in the Adelaide heat of the Deadly Funny national comedy competition run as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

So strong was the community’s interest in comedy that Nunga Funny was begun to offer comedians and audiences another opportunity to “have big yarn, tell stories, share experiences and laugh” says Diat herself a comedian and passionate advocate of the event. “Nunga Funny puts a new face to black humour.”

Kurruru Youth Performing Arts launches its 2010 Workshop program with Dance, Circus, Choir and Culture for young people from 5 to 30, the company remaining committed to offering high quality performing arts opportunities to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Working with professional artists, cultural knowledge bearers and community elders’ participants in Kurruru’s workshops are encouraged to explore and build new skills in performance areas of traditional and contemporary dance, circus, drama, storytelling and theatre games. With time dedicated in each lesson for participants to hear a local dreaming story or explore their culture through performance.

Kurruru’s workshop program provides additional support with transport, catering and culturally appropriate support workers present in each workshop. Kurruru works to provide participants with a pathway through the workshop program with participants having opportunities to develop as performers in the company’s performing troupes.

In addition to the 8-week long term blocks, participants have opportunities to take part in a number of intensives with guest artists throughout the year.

Kurruru’s Workshop Program is free and open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, but class sizes are limited so contact Eugenia or Aunty Josie on 08 8341 1150 to get registered or for more information.

Photo: Dance and tutor Deon Hastie is one of the artists involved in teaching participants in Kurruru’s workshop program.

Kurruru and Kaurna Elders to welcome the world to WOMADelaide.

When the world comes to Adelaide in March for the WOMADelaide festival, the Kurruru Dance Ensemble will be greeting them.

Kurruru along with the Paitya Dancers and Kaurna Elders, Aunty Josie Agius and Aunty Joan Lamont have been invited to issue a Welcome to Country as part of the Opening Night of the festival on Friday 5 March 2010.

Kurruru’s dancers will be performing a new work devised specifically for the Opening Ceremony by Dancer and Choreographer, Deon Hastie.

“The Womad performance will be a highlight for the dancers and the company,” said Company Manager Eugenia Flynn.

Photo: Kurruru’s Dance Ensemble are set to perform at the opening of Womadelaide (l to r) Jessica Gray, Kirsty Williams, Niaoka Bunda, Amber Ahang & taree Sansbury.

As dusk settles on the banks of the Murray River, a strange light appearing on the horizon throws the community into confusion. This is the starting premise of Min Min, the latest work for Kurruru Youth Performing Arts and the first work to be created by new Artistic Director, Deon Hastie, formerly dancer with SA dance company Leigh Warren and Dancers.

Working with performers from Kurruru’s Dance Ensemble as well as with local artists, young people and Aboriginal community members from Murray Bridge, Min Min explores the unexplainable and mysterious natural occurrences of the river.

Informed by the stories of the Ngarrindjeri people, Min Min will ask audiences to see into the relationship Aboriginal people have with country, and how an Aboriginal perspective offers explanations to every event, often different from that of mainstream science.

Under Deon’s direction Min Min will present the concept of the unknown and unanswered through contemporary dance and other artforms.

The work features as part of the Ripples - Regional Centre of Culture program, a year-long program of arts activities, performances and creative ideas centered on the regional city of Murray Bridge.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Rural City of Murray Bridge on 08 8539 1100 or online at www.ripplesmurraybridge.com.

For more information contact Kurruru on 08 8341 1150 or email info@kurruru.org.au