Yirra Yaakin educate and entertain next generation with Noongar Dreaming stories in Boodjar Kaatijin

Indigenous theatre troupe Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company have brought their Statewide tour to Bunbury to educate and entertain students with Noongar Dreaming stories. The company’s latest production Boodjar Kaatijin (Knowledge Of The Land) was performed at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School on Tuesday morning as part of the school’s NAIDOC Week activities. The theatre troupe, based in Subiaco, use puppetry and costumes to tell various stories based on Noongar Dreaming, such as how the nyingarn (echinda) got its spikes and the creation of Wave Rock and the stars in the Milky Way. The touring production stars Faith Clowry, Julianna Marie and Jaden Green, with Emma Stirling co-ordinating the sound. These performers found out about the show — first written and performed in 2016 — through their courses at university. “We’re all Indigenous and found out about it through the Indigenous Performance course at WAAPA,” Ms Clowry said. “We’ve all got a very shared experience in that way. It’s a really cool thing to be able to get our stories out there.” Ms Marie said for her, she loved the “depth” that came with telling Aboriginal stories “because they’re just so well-written”. “The shared experiences we have makes it a lot more important to perform,” she said. Fletcher Ashby, 11, enjoyed the performance, especially the story of Cooya The Frog, who spent so long in the water that eventually trees grew onto his back, creating Kings Park. “I really loved when the frog was swimming. I thought that was really fun. I was in a play and I got to be a frog once but it really hurt my legs,” he said. Fletcher said he thought it was important for young people to be educated on Indigenous history and Dreaming stories. Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School Year 6 teacher Joshua Grace said performances like Boodjar Kaatijin brought an element of fun to his students’ Indigenous studies. “The kids were engaged the entire time,” he said. “It was great for them to be immersed in that culture and really see a different representation of learning through dramatic arts. “Having things where we can have guest speakers come in, but also guest deliveries where it’s delivered through an arts media . . . they’re are great ways to channel enthusiasms. “It’s a part of the curriculum that we teach Aboriginal culture. This is a really great way to engage learners.” Yirra Yaakin will continue their regional tour of Boodjar Kaatijin in the Margaret River region before heading back to Subiaco.