Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm exceptionally proud to add my voice to the congratulations to Bangarra Dance Theatre on receiving a Golden Lion award from Venice Biennale. This is now the third Golden Lion award to recognise Australian creativity in as many years. This award is something truly exceptional and deeply meaningful because the Golden Lion is not just an award for creative excellence. It recognises work that is transformative, work that expands the boundaries of what art can be and work that fundamentally reshapes how we see ourselves. To receive a Golden Lion is to be recognised not just as an outstanding organisation or individual but as essential to the global cultural conversation. And that is exactly what Bangarra is.

What is so remarkable and so distinctive about Bangarra is its fusion of ancient tradition and contemporary expression. Through movement, Bangarra tells stories that are tens of thousands of years old yet feel entirely of the moment. Bangarra helps us reflect on the confronting truths in our history while inspiring us to imagine a future that transcends it. Its work is grounded in cultural authority, created in consultation with communities. It's guided by story, by country and by lineage. Yet, when it reaches the stage, it speaks a language that audiences all over the world can understand. That is its power.

Over almost four decades, Bangarra has developed a body of work that's reshaped our culture and our nation's sense of self, from Ochres, a defining early work that reimagined what Australian dance could be, to Corroboree at the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where Bangarra presented a new vision of Australia to the world, and works like Mathinna, Patyegarang and Dark Emu, which have deepened our understanding of First Nations culture and reframed our thinking about the past.

In Mathinna, Bangarra showed us the power of truth-telling through creative expression. This work told the story of a young Aboriginal girl removed from her family in colonial Tasmania and made it immediate and human—not distant history but lived experience. The work allowed audiences to emotionally connect with both her dislocation and resilience.

In Patyegarang, Bangarra reframed the story of first contact in Sydney. Centred on a young Eora woman sharing language and knowledge, this work restored First Nations agency and complexity to a defining moment in our history.

In Dark Emu, Bangarra challenged the myth that Aboriginal societies were purely nomadic and brought to life systems of agriculture and care for country. They transformed hard research into something audiences can see and feel.

I've been very fortunate to attend many Bangarra performances in the past, most recently Horizon, and I'm looking forward to seeing their upcoming work, Flora. It's impossible to see a performance by Bangarra without your perceptions being shifted and your awareness being broadened. That's what Bangarra does every time the curtain rises. It takes our history and makes it more tangible. It takes complexity and makes it more visible. It takes stories that have been sidelined and places them centre stage. For these reasons and so many more, the Australian government is proud to support Bangarra through Creative Australia.

Bangarra's extraordinary accomplishments are the product of an extraordinary cultural leadership. I congratulate the current executive team of Frances Rings and Louise Ingram for their leadership of the organisation. I also want to record my admiration and respect for Stephen Page, whose artistic vision defined Bangarra for decades. I'd like to especially acknowledge the artistry of his brothers, the late David Page and the late Russell Page, whose legacies live on in the spirit and the dynamism of this company and the standard of performance it presents.

It is so fitting that this is the first time the Golden Lion has been awarded to a company rather than an individual, because Bangarra's work has always been collective. It's based on the philosophy of shared cultural authority, storytelling that arises from community and culture that is carried forward together.

This award is shared by every dancer, choreographer, musician, crew member and administrator who's helped build this company over the past 36 years. I love that they've created an alternative pathway for young First Nations dancers. This award is a testament to the power of storytelling and creative ambition as a force for good in our society. This award shows what's possible when we recognise the value of culture, when we invest in it and when First Nations creative leadership is given autonomy. This award is a recognition of Australian creative power, bringing the world's oldest continuing cultures to the centre of global cultural life. So congratulations, Bangarra, on this wonderful achievement and this well-earned global recognition. But, more importantly, thank you for shaping the story of our country with strength and integrity, with wit and grace.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 18:35