Garrima: The Country Cries for Truth live

Kicking off NAIDOC Week 2025, join us for a special night of performances from a range of Bundjalung artists across art forms, as a response to and in celebration of Dr Bronwyn Bancroft’s exhibition currently showing in the Library’s First Nations Gallery.

Hosted by Gardening Australia’s Clarence Slockee, with music, art and readings from Djanaba, Kyra Kum-Sing, Melissa Jackson, Mr Rhodes and Rubyrose Bancroft.

A pop-up bar in the Paintings Galleries will be open from 5 pm, with sounds from DJ NAIAN. A Welcome to Country will kick-off official proceedings at 6 pm, with other performances to follow.

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Dr Bronwyn Bancroft (artist) is a Bundjalung woman. She has been exhibiting nationally and internationally for over four decades. She has also illustrated and/or written 47 books and has been the Director of her own company, Designer Aboriginals Pty Ltd since 1985. Dr Bancroft is a Board Member/Director of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), The Returning and the Commonwealth Bank Indigenous Advisory Council. She is a Founding Member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative and has been the Co-operative’s volunteer senior strategist since 2009. Dr Bancroft has a Diploma of Visual Arts, two Masters degrees and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney. In 2021–22 Dr Bronwyn Bancroft completed a series of works as part of the inaugural NSW First Nations Creative Fellowship at the State Library of NSW.

Clarence Slockee is a Cudgenburra/Bundjalung Aboriginal man with a long family history of bushmen, farmers and fishermen growing up in the lush Tweed Valley. He has over 20 years of experience in environmental and cultural education, including roles with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and more recently as Director and founder of Jiwah, a 100% Aboriginal-owned company that delivers a range of collaborative projects including urban native species green space. Clarence is also a graduate from the National Aboriginal & Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) Dance College and has gained experience across a broad range of performance mediums, and for the past 10 years Clarence has been a familiar face on television screens across the nation as a presenter on ABC’s Gardening Australia.

Djanaba is a magnetic force in Australia’s pop-electronic scene. A proud Queer Bundjalung woman, Djanaba continues to break barriers and turn heads with a genre-defying sound that’s as bold as it is vulnerable. Known for her raw honesty, euphoric production and fearless expression, she is redefining what it means to be a pop artist on her own terms. No stranger to the stage, Djanaba has lit up some of Australia’s biggest festivals including Listen Out, Beyond The Valley, Lost Paradise and Sydney Festival. Her high-energy performances blend club-ready euphoria with deeply felt lyricism, creating unforgettable live moments. Her journey is one of transformation, empowerment and celebration — and she’s only just getting started.

Kyra Kum-Sing is a Malera Bandjalan, Mitakoodi woman. Kyra has paved a unique and important path within the arts as both an artist and curator. Kyra has been the curator at Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative for the past four years and has curated a number of significant and acclaimed exhibitions including Boomalli’s 25th Anniversary Mardi Gras Exhibition: Original Box (2019). She has also curated at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Blacktown Arts Centre amongst others, and is an Encounters Fellow Alumni from the National Museum of Australia. Kyra has a diverse artistic practice which includes painting, drawing, weaving, sculpture, installations and clothing design, and is a consultant for the Aboriginal site heritage and repatriation work on Bandjalan Country in Northern NSW, where she is working on revitalising the Malera Bandjalan language. Kyra is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal rights and self-determination and the Aboriginal arts and cultural sector.

Melissa Jackson is a specialist librarian in the Indigenous Engagement branch at the State Library of NSW. She has been at the Library since 1991 and specialises in language enquiries and material, cultural consultation and First Nations family history. Born and bred on Gadigal land, Melissa is of Bundjalung descent with family links to the Baryulgil area near Grafton.

Mr Rhodes has been a true alchemist of sounds both ancient and futuristic for the better part of a decade. A prolific producer and beat-maker, award-winning lyricist and performer and esteemed composer for stage and screen, his accolades – much like the scope of his vision – are beyond measure. Following his beginnings in celebrated hip-hop trio Teddy Lewis King, the last few years for Mr Rhodes have been spent amassing an enviable catalogue of solo and collaborative projects that defy both geography and genre. His magnetic energy is as unparalleled as it is undeniable, whether channelled into a mic, pen or sampler. With singles like ‘Fear & Loathing’ and ‘Can’t You Tell’, the sold-out, multidisciplinary stage show FLOW and touring with the likes of ILLY, Winston Surfshirt and Horrorshow, it’s clear that Mr Rhodes’ voice as a storyteller is one the world desperately needs at the forefront.

DJ NAIAN blends deep beats, fierce storytelling and unapologetic Blak pride through his DJ sets. Based in Sydney and raised on rhythm, DJ NAIAN brings together First Nations resistance, love and community energy to every set. From underground dance floors to community radio airwaves, DJ NAIAN has become known for curating soundscapes that are as politically charged as they are soul-shaking and love-making. A proud Bundjalung creative and published poet (, ), NAIAN brings the Spirit of Country to every bassline, every break, every broadcast. Whether spinning live at festivals, producing sonic art and podcasts, or amplifying Blak voices on Koori Radio 93.7FM, DJ NAIAN loves to play the tracks that will keep you moving to the beat of truth, identity, and freedom.

Rubyrose Bancroft is a Bundjalung woman from Northern New South Wales. Ruby completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National Art School in 2020. Her final work, The 7 Deadly Sins, was acquired for the National Art School Collection. Rubyrose has exhibited with Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative and in external exhibitions including BOOMALLI NOW (Hobiennale 2019), MCA Art Bar and No Show (Carriageworks, Sydney). Rubyrose presented a live art installation for Amnesty International’s Dadirri exhibition in 2018. Rubyrose has been commissioned to produce unique artwork designs by Australian Indigenous Mentoring experience (AIME) and Budgy Smuggler swimwear. Rubyrose was also involved in a project with the NRMA which saw her artwork Ripple Effect II featured on a billboard acknowledging Bundjalung Country. She is a 2025 Bundanon Artist in Residence.

Cherokee Lord (curator) is a Bundjalung and Gamilaraay woman with family ties to Casino and Tabulam in the Northern Rivers of NSW. She has been a member of the State Library’s Indigenous Engagement branch for five years, working to assist Aboriginal people and their communities to access material from the Library's collections. The Country Cries for Truth is her debut exhibition as curator.

Also check out other Arts events in Sydney, Exhibitions in Sydney, Fine Arts events in Sydney.