Books are not their covers. One size does not fit all.

With a cracking original electronic soundtrack, [MIS]CONCEIVE bundles sharp humour and cultural references to knock the staunchest contemporary dance detractor off their lounge room couch. Kelly and his ensemble move with assured physicality in this high-energy work that pulses with humour, play and personal stories. Voice and body become pathways to traditional dance and song, as repetition and disguise make way for moments of brilliant discovery. Extracting contemporary gestural motifs from Aboriginal archetypes, [MIS]CONCEIVE's hip-hop, physical percussion and rhythmic cultural pattern is an expressive and immediate assertion of a continuous Aboriginal dance canon.

[MIS]CONCEIVE rejects, reveals and re-educates modern (mis)understandings of Indigeneity and argues that 'knowledge' does not equal comprehension. [MIS]CONCEIVE uses Indigenous contemporary dance to bring audiences through the past, to understand the present, and move forward into a better future.

Running for 50 minutes with no interval, [MIS]CONCEIVE has been predominantly presented in festival contexts and shows strong promise for a tour encapsulating a series of performances and tailored community engagement with communities and venues across Australia. This specific tour model involves part-residency part-presentation, On Country, to ensure activation of local communities.

Venue Format
Black Box Venue
Technical Rating
C, The production can be modified to suit most venues
Touring Party
5

Karul Projects is a performing arts company sharing stories of cultural relevance, Indigenous knowledge and responsibility in Australia’s current and future identity. Karul is a Yugambeh word meaning ‘everything’. Named so because Karul Projects will do everything we can to strengthen and empower the cultural knowledge of this land so future generations can continue to learn and enjoy Aboriginal Australia’s rich heritage. Though Karul Projects mainly identify with dance and choreography, we will utilise every medium we feel best suits the story we are sharing.

Karul Projects has developed and toured work nationally and internationally, including presentations at Next Wave in Melbourne, Australian Performing Arts Market in Brisbane, Dance Massive and Living Ritual in Canada. Karul Projects’ vision is to have a repertoire of works in various stages of development and presentation, for engagement across various markets including locally throughout QLD and Northern NSW, nationally across Australia and internationally. Karul Projects present their work as a beacon to promote and cultivate independent Indigenous dance and activate local communities.

Karul Projects’ are engaging BlakDance, the peak body for Indigenous Dance in Australia, as their Producer for a national tour of [MIS]CONCEIVE, along with rigorous support from arTour.

Company Website
karulprojects.com

Unique Selling Point

[MIS]CONCEIVE is about dismantling stereotypes that plague the Indigenous community, as well as empowering what it means to be Aboriginal in today’s society regardless of appearance. Karul Projects’ tour model involves part-residency part-presentation to ensure activation of local communities, audience development and increased awareness and connection to Indigenous contemporary dance. Engaging with local community members is pivotal to the presentation of the work, to effectively develop audience interest and understanding of Indigenous contemporary dance and expression. [MIS]CONCEIVE uses Indigenous contemporary dance to bring audiences through the past, to understand the present, and move forward into a better future.

Marketing Materials

  • Marketing copy (one line, short and extended)
  • High quality images and video of the show
  • 2 minute trailer

Community Engagement

Karul Projects’ tour model involves part-residency part-presentation to ensure activation of local communities, effective audience development and increased awareness and connection to Indigenous contemporary dance. Karul Projects and BlakDance will work closely with each presenter to strategically align community engagement strategies to ensure artist, presenter and community needs are met and a legacy is embedded in the community. Community engagement activities will include small-scale gatherings for local community to engage with the artists and the venue, and tailored movement workshop/s alongside the performance season. This model allows up to 5 individual offerings across 3 days.

The length and content of a movement workshop will depend on the community, their needs and skill level. Participants will be introduced to dance and movement elements of running, jumping, sliding, diving and turning, combined with foundational tools of being grounded and connecting with our cultural lineage. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of contemporary Indigenous expression and their own physicality.

Additional activities such as a small-scale community gathering will be coordinated between Karul Projects, BlakDance and the presenter. BlakDance and Karul Projects can work closely with each presenter to identify and reach a relevant target audience for the workshops and additional activities.