2025 Board Strategy and Cultural Competency Training Weekend

Last weekend, the Moorambilla Board were delighted to be hosted by the Brewarrina community – one that we have worked closely with over the last 20 years. Our incredible Board work year-round to ensure that Moorambilla can continue to offer exceptional opportunities to children and youth living in regional and remote NSW, including our free Skills Development Workshops, annual residency camps, performances and tours. 

Travelling to and working closely with our regional communities is essential for Moorambilla, allowing us to forge strong, respectful and enduring relationships with Indigenous communities and organisations and ensures the cultural integrity of the work we create.

At the heart of Brewarrina is Baiame’s Ngunnhu, the Brewarrina Fish Traps, a tangible testimony to the strength of Indigenous culture and community in the region that is estimated to be over 40,000 years old. Moorambilla is so proud to have the opportunity to walk side by side with the community in Brewarrina, in a place where eight language groups have traditionally met to share food, information and stories, and carry this tradition of collaboration into the future. The river was the focal point for the Board whilst in Brewarrina, and we acquired a deep respect and knowledge of it’s role in First Nations aquaculture and caring for Country.

The Moorambilla Team was warmly welcomed by the phenomenal Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Centre, where community leaders and cultural knowledge holders generously taught us the intangible cultural heritage of this space. We would like to thank Brad Steadman, who shared Dreaming Stories and explained the meaning and significance of his mosaic artwork presented in the Cultural Centre, Brad Hardy, who led a walking tour of the Fish Traps, and Melissa Kirby, worked with our Board to learn the importance of family lineage and connection, and how this can positively frame our decision making with regional communities. We also enjoyed collaborating with Melissa on some creative ideas, discussing the possum and its connection to the night sky and the river systems. We would also like to thank the teams at Muddy Waters Coffee Shop and Gallery as well as Beds on the Barwon for hosting us.

On the way back to Dubbo – the Moorambilla Board met with the team from the Warraan Widji Arts Centre, Warren – Nettie Slade, June Wakes, Chris Crips, Karlene Irving. Thank you very much for having us and showing us your incredible facilities that you have created – it was so wonderful to connect with a like-minded organisation that creates excellent artistic opportunities for youth in Western NSW to thrive. It was wonderful to catch up with Moorambilla alumni Charlie Gale and Gracie Leonard, as well as other local youth artists. We look forward to working with Widji Arts in the future.

We are so thankful for our wonderful Board and the communities we work with for their spirit of generosity. We look forward to another year of using song, dance and creativity to empower and build the capacity of young people and co-creating works which share, value, and celebrate regional NSW’s First Nations languages, cultures and worldviews.