Smoke and Fire Party

Presented by Malthouse Theatre curated by Jason Tamiru

In the courtyard of Malthouse Theatre, Smoke and Fire welcomes national and international visitors to the land of the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples.

Relax and feel welcomed as the sun sets, with speakers, local traditional and contemporary dance groups, BIRDZ, and legendary soul band The Deans.

Speakers Uncle Jack Charles, Clinton Nain
Dancers Djirri Djirri Dancers, Koori Youth Will Shake Spears, Culture Evolves
Music The Deans, BIRDZ

This event is catered by Mabu Mabu.

    ABOUT THE ARTISTS

    Curated by Malthouse Theatre Producer and Yorta Yorta man Jason Tamiru.

    Featured speakers: Uncle Jack Charles (Boon Wurrung/ Dja Dja Wurrung); Mandy Nicholson (Wurundjeri/ Ngurai illum wurrung); and Clinton Naina (KuKu, from Cape York, Far North-West Queensland and Meriam Mir people’s of Far North-East of the Torres Strait, Queensland).

    Performances by: Djirri Djirri Dancing Group, Koori Youth Will Shake Spears Dance Group, Damien Nicholson, BIRDZ, and Culture Evolves Dance Group and The Deans.

    The Deans are a critically acclaimed original Soul band based in Melbourne Australia. The Deans bring the sound of modern, original Soul into the gritty metropolis of Melbourne’s Rock City. The Deans are like a United Nations of Indigenous and Non Indigenous Australians unified in the one Soul groove:

    Linc Yow Yeh — Singer/Song-writer/Guitarist.  Master of the Stratocaster, Linc is a Goreng Goreng man raised in Jagera Country, Brisbane but whose traditional ancestry is Bundaberg and Darumbal Country, Rockhampton.

    Bradley Boon — Drums.  Brad is a Kurnai man from Gippsland.  He lays down the heartbeat with a groovy fatback feel.

    Nick Larkins — Bass. Nick is a musical nomad from Tasmania who has played with ARIA award winning acts Wild Pumpkins At Midnight, Dan Rumour (The Cruel Sea) and Monique Brumby.

    The Deanettes — The Deans also feature the heartbreaking vocals of soul diva Sophie Dickson, Sophie Elsworth and the melodic keys of Phoebe Elsworth, and horn players Emelia Wilmot and Basil Byrne. They add sass and hooks to the rock steady soul groove. In certain circles they have been affectionately dubbed ‘The Deanettes.’

    ABOUT MALTHOUSE THEATRE

    Malthouse Theatre collaborates with local and international artists to create inventive performances that cut to the core of the human experience. Our work explores the world, personally, socially and politically to provoke a dialogue with and within audiences.

    We champion artistic and cultural diversity and seek out alternative points of view. Committed to inclusivity, Malthouse Theatre invites collaboration without bias. We actively address inequities in representation. We believe fiercely in gender equality. We champion positive change and passionately influence its enactment.

    We acknowledge the Land and Songlines of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. We support the right of a Treaty for all First Nations peoples of Victoria and Australia. We engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, supporting their right to self-determine artistic identity while promoting artists and emerging talent, audience development and community engagement.

    ABOUT MABU MABU

    Mabu Mabu is a Torres Strait Islander owned and run business with an emphasis on using fresh, seasonal and native ingredients to create beautiful dishes that bring people together. Mabu Mabu is a term from the Torres Strait that translates to ‘help yourself.’ Traditionally, a Mabu Mabu is a banquet, shared table or big family meal. It’s how we like to enjoy food on the islands: surrounded by the people we love.

    We’re passionate about native ingredients, and use a variety of indigenous herbs, fruits, succulents and spices in all of our dishes. We want to create a truly Australian cuisine by helping people to understand native flavours, and to use them in their every-day cooking.

    Nornie Bero is the head chef and business owner. Originally from Mer Island in the Torres Strait, Nornie has been a professional chef for over 20 years. Her style of cooking is all about generosity and flavour. She has been creating dishes using native ingredients for much of her career, and is currently on a mission to make Indigenous herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits part of everyone’s kitchen pantry.