Creative In Cairns

Held at Bulmba-ja in Cairns (Gimuy) on 10 and 11 November 2025, the free public event featured a series of works-in-progress showings and live readings, offering an intimate window into the making of new First Nations theatre.

Audiences encountered works in their earliest stages – works that will continue to grow into full productions in the years ahead.

Among the pieces in development were Burning House by Phoebe Grainer, Forgotten Songlines by Minjil, Biw a Githalay by Uncle Milton Walit, John Harvey and the seven clans of Saibai Island, and Let There Be Light by QTC’s Head of First Nations Theatre, Isaac Drandic.

Created by First Nations artists from across Queensland’s Far North, these early showings reveal stories alive with song, culture and connection to Country, offering a rare first look at works born here and destined to travel far beyond.

The event provided vital networking opportunities for 42 First Nations artists and creatives – 25 of whom are based in Far North Queensland – with highlights including:

Strengthened relationships with Traditional Owners, Walupara Yidinji.

Training for five local First Nations young people as the ‘Front of House’ team for the event. Training local young people was integral to the project’s success, providing visible representation and culturally safe connections for audiences.

Support for local First Nations businesses such as Blaq Pearl Catering and Mob Made Media, the brainchild of creative content creator Talicia Minniecon.

Creative in Cairns is about connection – artists, Elders and audiences coming together in the earliest moments of a story’s life. These stories have existed for thousands of years; now we’re building the pathways for them to travel to the world.

— Isaac Drandic, Head of First Nations Theatre, Queensland Theatre Company

Through its Cairns satellite hub, QTC has established a permanent base for First Nations theatre development – a first for any major state theatre company in Australia. The initiative reflects the Company’s commitment to championing First Nations voices across every aspect of theatre-making: writing, design, performance and direction.

Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Creative in Cairns marks a vital step in QTC’s long-term vision to nurture intergenerational knowledge, develop new artistic leaders and bring distinctive Queensland stories to audiences everywhere.

We look forward to continuing to build on Creative in Cairns and bringing more First Nations–led projects to life.

Works in Development

Burning House by Phoebe Grainer

In a restless town in Far North Queensland, a daughter searches for justice, a town is tormented by a death and a father is murdered. Country is witness and will stop at nothing to get the truth. Burning House follows two generations of two families brought together by violence. What will it take for a community to come together, take responsibility for the crimes of the past, and heal?

Let There Be Light by Isaac Drandić

Let There Be Light is a bold new music comedy from Noongar writer and director Isaac Drandić. With wit, heart, and a cheeky sense of play, the work explores the meeting points—and collisions—between Aboriginal spirituality (through Isaac’s personal lens) and Christianity.

Biw a Githalay by Uncle Milton Walit, John Harvey and The Seven Clans of Saibai Island

Biw a Githalay (The Crab and the Mangrove Tree) is an interactive children’s work grounded in Saibai Island storytelling, created with Elders, mothers and grandmothers. Told in Kalaw Kawaw Ya and Torres Strait Creole, it celebrates harmony in nature through puppetry, dance and song while honouring culture under the threat of climate change.

Forgotten Songlines by Minjil

A theatrical reclamation of Yidinydji creation stories, blending traditional song, dance and language with symphonic sound. This ambitious new work traces the formation of the Great Barrier Reef and volcanic Atherton lakes, sharing ancient knowledge that aligns with modern science.