NORPA has announced that Yaegl and Bundjalung performer and theatre maker MITCH KING will join the theatre company for a residency August 12 – 16 to research and development a new work Flow (working title) as part of NORPA’s Indigenous Makers Studio.
“Flow is a piece about the connections we have with water and the relationships we’ve had with this element throughout history, from our ancestors to the present. Exploring the universal theme of ‘water’ Flow connects with the Bundjalung nation and Yaegl country, respecting the stories that make us who we are, not only from the land but also the rivers, lakes, waterfalls and the ocean. The stories continue to create connections to the places we call home, family and community.”
Mitch King is a Yaegl Bundjalung man from the Far North Coast. He is a creative producer specialising in hip hop music and dance and has previously worked with NORPA as an Associate Producer and is currently a NORPA Associate Artist. He is one part of local hip hop group Teddy Lewis King and a youth educator through the Dream Bigger initiative in Northern NSW. Mitch combines his passion for hip-hop dance and music with theatre, movement and creative writing to connect with people who want to engage with the performing arts. As a workshop leader he develops people’s unique movement and voice within the rhythm and aesthetic of hip hop.
Mitch will be researching the project on Yaegl country in the weeks prior to the residency and will be collaborating with community and other artists during this time. He will bring research from these weeks into the studio during his residency to create the first stage of his new multi-discipline work. The work will include elements of projection, music, poetry and dance. There will be a community sharing at the end of this week on Friday August 16th @ 5.30 pm.
As part of NORPA’s Indigenous Makers Studio initiative Mitch will receive: an artist fee, access to NORPA’s studio space, production support, producer support and the company’s creative expertise.
‘This residency at NORPA will be a great opportunity for me to explore and extend on what these stories mean to not only myself but to the community. Through this research and development I also want explore artistic mediums that will continue to keep these stories alive.’ Mitch King
NORPA’s Indigenous Makers Studio supports emerging and mid-career Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists originating from or based in NSW to deepen their performing arts practice, hone their professional skills and develop ideas for new works. The initiative was developed in collaboration with the country’s leading Indigenous performing arts education centres, NAISDA and ACPA and is made possible by a grant from Creative Koori, the NSW Government’s Arts and Cultural Development Program.