Tjaabi – Flood Country is a contemporary intercultural music and theatre performance led by Ngarluma man Patrick Churnside. Raw, gripping and intensely moving, Patrick’s remarkable life is shared through breathtaking music, profoundly personal narrative and humour that cuts to the bone. Tjaabi – Flood Country presents a sophisticated portrait of Pilbara life, capturing the many pressures Aboriginal people face amidst the ever-increasing pursuit for new minerals and more ore – where the weakest of strengths and the strongest of weaknesses combine.
Importantly, this work is an intercultural sharing, reflecting a hopeful future of cultural exchange and dialogue, with Patrick’s story at the centre. Created in collaboration with award-winning writer and director Scott Rankin, (Namatjira, Ngapartji Ngapartji, Hipbone Sticking Out), and produced by Big hART’s renowned collaborative team, Tjaabi – Flood Country delivers much of the signature power of Big hART’s large scale works.
