Abstract
Dr Madison Shakespeare presented Ceremonial Song, Performance and Film as part of Making Spaces at the Sydney Opera House on 27 September 2026.
An extended ceremonial performance, the work brought together sung ceremony, dramatic speech, performance and moving image to create an immersive encounter with Country. Grounded in the cultural practice and authority of Welcome to Country, Shakespeare expanded the form into a sustained artistic work in which voice, song, spoken word, embodied presence and cinematic image moved between ceremony, storytelling and theatrical expression.
The performance was embodied through a handmade ceremonial costume incorporating Australian crocodile, wallaby leather, kangaroo and snakeskin. These materials formed part of the visual and material language of the work, carrying Country into the performance space through the body, movement and presence of the performer.
The voice moved between sung and spoken registers, allowing ceremony, story and dramatic expression to operate together. Song established a resonant relationship between performer, Country and audience, while dramatic speech and embodied performance extended the encounter beyond the conventions of a formal ceremonial opening.
The accompanying film, written, produced and directed by Shakespeare in creative collaboration with Gadigal videographer Mr L. Shakespeare, extended this encounter into moving image. Country, cultural knowledge, story, materiality and contemporary visual practice converged across the live and cinematic forms, creating a dialogue between embodied performance and the visual presence of place.
Together, the performance and film explored the capacity of First Nations cultural practice to shape space within a major cultural institution. Country and cultural authority were not simply acknowledged within the work; they became integral to its artistic language, material presence and encounter with the audience.
Presented within Making Spaces, Ceremonial Song, Performance and Film created an extended space for Country, cultural voice, story and belonging — moving beyond the conventional boundaries of ceremonial opening to assert the continuing presence, authority and transmission of First Nations cultural knowledge through contemporary performance and film.
An extended ceremonial performance, the work brought together sung ceremony, dramatic speech, performance and moving image to create an immersive encounter with Country. Grounded in the cultural practice and authority of Welcome to Country, Shakespeare expanded the form into a sustained artistic work in which voice, song, spoken word, embodied presence and cinematic image moved between ceremony, storytelling and theatrical expression.
The performance was embodied through a handmade ceremonial costume incorporating Australian crocodile, wallaby leather, kangaroo and snakeskin. These materials formed part of the visual and material language of the work, carrying Country into the performance space through the body, movement and presence of the performer.
The voice moved between sung and spoken registers, allowing ceremony, story and dramatic expression to operate together. Song established a resonant relationship between performer, Country and audience, while dramatic speech and embodied performance extended the encounter beyond the conventions of a formal ceremonial opening.
The accompanying film, written, produced and directed by Shakespeare in creative collaboration with Gadigal videographer Mr L. Shakespeare, extended this encounter into moving image. Country, cultural knowledge, story, materiality and contemporary visual practice converged across the live and cinematic forms, creating a dialogue between embodied performance and the visual presence of place.
Together, the performance and film explored the capacity of First Nations cultural practice to shape space within a major cultural institution. Country and cultural authority were not simply acknowledged within the work; they became integral to its artistic language, material presence and encounter with the audience.
Presented within Making Spaces, Ceremonial Song, Performance and Film created an extended space for Country, cultural voice, story and belonging — moving beyond the conventional boundaries of ceremonial opening to assert the continuing presence, authority and transmission of First Nations cultural knowledge through contemporary performance and film.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Utzon Hall, Sydney Opera House |
| Media of output | Film |
| Size | Full performance 7 min |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Sept 2026 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright and Creative Rights© 2026 Dr Madison Shakespeare. All rights reserved.
Ceremonial Song, Performance and Film is an original creative work by Dr Madison Shakespeare. The performance concept, written and spoken material, dramatic composition, ceremonial performance, creative direction, film concept, script, production and associated artistic materials are protected by copyright and related intellectual property rights.
The accompanying film was written, produced and directed by Dr Madison Shakespeare in creative collaboration with Gadigal videographer Mr L. Shakespeare. Copyright and creative rights in individual contributions remain with their respective creators, subject to any agreed arrangements.
No part of this work, including its text, performance structure, spoken or sung material, film, imagery, concept, documentation or other original creative elements, may be reproduced, adapted, recorded, published, communicated, distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission from the relevant copyright holder, except where permitted by law.
The work is also subject to applicable moral rights. Appropriate attribution must be maintained wherever the work or its original creative elements are reproduced or communicated in circumstances permitted by law.
The cultural knowledge, cultural expressions and relationships to Country informing this work are not to be treated as freely available material for extraction, appropriation or unauthorised reuse. Any engagement with cultural material should respect applicable cultural protocols, permissions and the authority of the relevant knowledge holders.
For permissions, licensing, reproduction, performance, publication or other uses of the work, please contact Dr Madison Shakespeare.
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
-
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Keywords
- Embodied cultural practice
- Cultural sovereignty
- Indigenous knowledge
- Cultural continuity
- First Nations cultural presence
- Ceremony and performance
- Sovereignty
- Cross cultural relations
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