Kuramanunya

Started by Thomas E.S. Kelly and Taree Sansbury in 2017, Karul Projects is a performing arts company with a focus to increase First Nations’ voices, visibilities and stories locally, nationally and internationally.

Karul is a Yugambeh Language word which means ‘Everything’. Named so because Karul will do everything it can to strengthen and empower the cultural knowledge of this land so future generations continue to be proud and learn from Australia’s rich First Nations’ heritage.

Additionally, ‘Karul’ represents our works. Alongside our grounding medium of dance we also use Karul/Everything that we feel best suits the story and information we are sharing incorporating theatre, film, projection, animation, singing and more.

Karul Projects are proudly supported through Arts Queensland and the City of Gold Coast through their Multi Year Organisational Funding.

Choreographer and Performer Thomas is a proud Minjungbal-Yugambeh, Wiradjuri and Ni-Vanuatu man. Thomas graduated in 2012 from NAISDA Dance College and has since worked with Vicki Van Hout, Shaun Parker and Company, Branch Nebula, ERTH, Chunky Move, Dancenorth, The FARM, Tasdance, Outer Urban Projects and Urban Theatre Projects. His choreographic credits include his Green Room Award winning work [MIS]CONCEIVE, CO_EX_EN, SANDCIRCLE and SSHIFTT. VESSEL for Outer Urban Projects, MASS for Chunky Move and Junjeiri Ballun – Gurul Gaureima for Tasdance.

Thomas creates work that explores high intensity physical performance, from a cultural practice fused with contemporary, incorporating voice and physical percussion. Creating work that ebbs and flows while mimicking nature, Thomas explores contemporary issues that offer an opportunity to learn and develop. His motto is: to remember the past to better understand the present, to move forward into the future. Thomas created Karul Projects in 2017; a new company led by new indigenous voices telling new stories. Karul Projects is situated in South East Qld and Northern NSW. Thomas is the 2018 Dreaming Award Recipient and a 2019 American Australian Association Alumni. Thomas was also awarded the 2017 Green Room Award for Outstanding Choreography by an Emerging Artist/Choreographer for [MIS]CONCEIVE.

Thomas created SILENCE in 2018 on the Gold Coast, premiering in 2020 at Brisbane Festival and then embarking on a Queensland regional tour in 2022, a season at DanceX Festival presented by The Australian Ballet, and now on their National tour over 2023.

Vicki Van Hout is an Indigenous independent artist with over 20 years’ experience. A graduate of  NAISDA Dance College and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York, she  went on to perform with major Indigenous dance companies, Bangarra Dance Theatre and the  Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, before joining forces with Marilyn Miller as a founding member of Fresh Dancers. With Marilyn, Vicki performed Miller’s Dear Carrie for One Extra Dance and Quinkin for the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Van Hout’s show, Briwyant, was the first ever show by an independent Indigenous choreographer to tour nationally and was nominated for an Australian Dance Award for Best Achievement in Independent Dance while her latest solo show, plenty serious TALK TALK, was awarded two Green Room Awards for best performer and best production (2020). Vicki was awarded the 2014 NSW Dance Fellowship for established and mid career artists – the first Indigenous winner of the Fellowship. She has also completed various residencies in Australia and overseas, including in Austria and Singapore. In 2019 Vicki was the recipient of the Australia Council for the Arts Dance Award. Vicki is studying for her PhD and also currently writes for Form Dance Projects.

Emily Wells is a proud Kamilaroi producer and playwright currently working with YIRRAMBOI Festival, as Executive Producer. Emily is passionate about using performance to drive social change, and supporting artists to thrive in the creative process. As a Producer, Emily has produced small to large scale performances, gatherings and creative developments with emerging to established First Nations creatives across Australia.

Since being awarded the Emerging Female Arts Leader at the Matilda Awards 2020, Emily has worked closely with leading independents and companies such as ILBIJERRI Theatre Company, Karul Projects, Digi Youth Arts, Queensland Theatre, La Boite Theatre Company, and Walt Disney World. As a Playwright, Emily’s debut play Face to Face premiered at Metro Arts (Brisbane) as part of Playlab Theatre’s 2022 Season. Emily was selected for Playlab Theatre’s year-long script development programs Alpha Processing and the inaugural Sparks program, delivered in partnership with QPAC and Moogahlin Performing Arts.

Taree Sansbury is a performance artist and emerging choreographer. In 2013 Taree graduated from NAISDA Dance College. Taree’s bloodlines connect to Kaurna, Narungga and Ngarrindjeri nations. Drawing upon her cultural heritage as a standpoint, Taree works with this knowledge to inform her creative process alongside a mixture of contemporary dance, theatre and language revival. In 2018 Taree premiered her first full-length work, mi:wi, at the Next Wave Festival, with successive presentations to various venues in South Australia in 2019 and QPAC in 2020.

In the last 7 years as a performer Taree has worked with some of Australia’s highly acclaimed independent makers such as Vicki Van Hout, Martin Del Amo, Victoria Hunt and with companies, Legs on the Wall, Force Majeure and Branch Nebula. In 2018 Taree became Co-artistic Director of new performing arts company Karul Projects. Taree has performed in numerous Karul Project’s works including [MIS]CONCEIVE, CO_EX_EN, Weredingo and their largest work to date, SILENCE, that premiered at Brisbane Festival 2020, their first Queensland regional tour over 2022 and National tour over 2023.

Sam Pankhurst is an Australian contrabassist, composer, improviser, producer, curator, and interdisciplinary artist. Samuel has performed with Allan Browne OAM, Paul Grabowsky, Katie Noonan, Missy Higgins, Iain Graindage, Louis Burdett, John Rose, Kate Miller Heidke, Erkki Veltheim, Andrew D’Angelo (USA), the Sun Ra Arkestra, Brian Ritchie (USA), Erik Griswold (USA), Vanessa Tomlinson, Tony Buck, Bernie McGann, The Brodsky String Quartet (UK), Mike Nock, and Indigenous artists William Barton and Aunty Delmae Barton.

He is a member of the Australian Art Orchestra and has premiered works by Alvin Lucier (USA), Nicole Lizee (CAN), and Paul Grabowsky. His collaboration with Butchulla songman Fred Leone – Yirinda – combines ancient Butchulla songlines with his eclectic contrabass and compositional style. Stand out acts at 2019 Supersense: Festival of the Ecstatic, they were artists in residence at MONA FOMA 2019, and performed at Golden Plains festival 2020. Samuel is currently developing a large scale installation/performance piece with legendary Indigenous artist Archie Moore. He is working on a major commission to write for the Australian Art Orchestra and Yirinda, along with a new sound design for prominent Indigenous dancer/choreographers Thomas E.S. Kelly, and Preparing Ground collective (Marilyn Miller, Jasmin Sheppard, Katina Olsen).

Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie is a storyteller, learning from his experience and point of view as a young Aboriginal man of Yergala-Mirning & Wuthathi cultures growing up in an ever-changing world. As the drummer of now defunct The Medics (Triple J Feature Album, ARIA top 30 album charts), Jhindu’s performances were full of intensity, commanding an immediate emotional connection with audiences. Mentored by Jhindu’s father, ARIA Award winning Bunna Lawrie of Coloured Stone, the band won a swag of awards for band, album and song of the year (The Deadly Awards, National Indigenous Music Awards, Queensland Music Awards).

Jhindu has continued his creative work as a drummer, vocalist and guitarist for a long list of bands, including Elko Fields, Minor Premiers, and Gentle Ben And His Shimmering Hands, such is the Meanjin/Brisbane way. He composes, writes and performs stories and workshops in varied and interesting ways, with his culture at the forefront, including live contemporary dance productions, children’s programming at the Museum Of Brisbane, and an interactive music installation for the High Rotation exhibition honoring the past 30 years of Brisbane music history.

Jhindu is the lead artist undertaking multiple music projects and mentoring with Indigenous arts organisation Digi Youth Arts. Slowly but surely, he studies his family’s history and language to explore music and educate the next generation of Indigenous artists.

Christine recently made her main-stage debut as lighting designer for La Boite Theatre Company and Playlab’s production of The Dead Devils of Cockle Creek. She has also created lighting designs for Spectate, by Counterpilot (2017); Short+Sweet Theatre & Cabaret Festivals in Brisbane and the Gold Coast (2016 & 2017); Splendour, from Now Look Here Theatre Company (Directed by Kate Wild); Allen, from Awkward Productions (directed by Stewart McMillan); Architects Reborn: Arena Spectacular, part of Brisbane Festival (from Architects of Sound); and Iphigenia 2.0 (Directed by David Sleswick).

Christine has also worked as an assistant to David Walters, Ben Hughes, Jason Glenwright and Glenn Hughes.

Belinda Gerard is a stage manager, producer and production manager. Her passion is making stories come alive and connecting people with shows that inspire, challenge and feel things. Before joining KARUL PROJECTS, she worked on a range of circus, music, dance and comedy shows throughout Australia and internationally.

Recent credits include The Party (Strut & Fret), The Grand Electric Theatre refit in Sydney (Strut & Fret), the Debating Hall and Late N Live (Gilded Balloon), Community Engagement Producer at the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, The Purple Rabbit (Strut & Fret), De Parel Spiegeltent (FRINGE WORLD) and The Woodside Pleasure Garden (FRINGE WORLD).

Selene Cochrane has been a costumier for over 25 years. Beginning in the fashion industry, she  eventually moved into theatre and performance art. Her designs have featured in her work for  performer Christine Johnston, with whom she continues to work. Their most recent collaboration  was for Christine’s role as “The Old Lady” in Opera Queensland’s production of Candide 2015.

As Wardrobe Supervisor and Resident Designer for Queensland Ballet from 1998 to 2003, Selene  designed and made costumes for many productions including The Little Mermaid, Don Quixote  and Sleeping Beauty, some of which toured throughout Australia and Internationally. While  working with the dancers, Selene developed an extensive knowledge and love of making costumes  that can “move” with the body. She has also created costumes for many dancers, acrobats and  companies including Expressions Dance Company and Circa Contemporary Circus. Along with  her freelance work as costume designer and maker, Selene is also currently working as Wardrobe  Coordinator at Circa.