

banj ba walert : water and possum
Date
Venue
There is healing power in renewing another cultural practice that was interrupted, a practice embodied by our ancestors for thousands of generations. We awaken and evolve the making and playing of possum skin drums, through the hands of our Elder, Aunty Vicki, our cultural knowledge keeper and maker of her framed drum over three decades ago.
The importance of our possum drumming runs deep, it is the heartbeat of country, it is the first sound we hear in our mother's womb, in our grandmother's womb and it is an instrument that brings people together across the globe.
We beat our drums together once again for the first time since pre-contact, and heal with our community, our ancestors, our land, our waterways, our spirit animals, our kin and our kirip through an honouring of a Wurundjeri matriarch and our life force banj, water.
Performance Details
Venue
The Edge, Fed Square
Swanston Street & Flinders Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Dates & Times
Fri 2 – Sun 11 May Exhibition hours: Daily 9am–6pm
Tickets
Free, no booking required ACCESSIBILITY ENQUIRIES Venue Phone: (03) 9655 1900 Venue Email: info@fedsquare.com
Artist Information
Lead Artist
Stacie Nicholson-Piper (she/her), Wurundjeri/Dja Dja Wurrung/Ngurai Illum-Wurrung)
Contributor
Aunty Vicki Nicholson-Brown (she/her), Wurundjeri
Contributor
Djirri Djirri Dancers (Wurundjeri)
Imagery
Christian Capurro, Courtesty of Koorie Heritage Trust
Artist Bio
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Instagram
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Additional Information
This is a free exhibition. Audiences will be immersed in a 360° audio experience, where the deep, resonant beats of the possum skin drum intertwined with breathtaking visuals on the large screen, creating a powerful connection to local Wurundjeri/Woiwurrung culture and storytelling. Audiences will have both sitting and standing options.
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Accessible Bathroom
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Accessible Parking
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Changing Places toilet facilities
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Open Captioning
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Wheelchair Accessible
Co-commissioned by YIRRAMBOI 2025 and Fed Square.
Supported by Australian Film Television and Radio School.
Supported by the Great Forest Trail Marathon.
This project is supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria.
Special thanks for Djirri Djirri’s for their support.
Partners
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