Whadjuk Noongar artists have showcased Indigenous culture in spectacular style at one of the world's biggest music events.
Ballardong Whadjuk Noongar artist Barry McGuire opened Arcadia Spectacular's radical new arena at Glastonbury Festival in a collaboration with Australian arts company Astral Projekt.
Mr McGuire and members of Gya Ngoop Keeninyarra dance group shared the new Glastonbury stage with one of the globe's most well known DJs, Fatboy Slim, on Arcadia's giant, new dragonfly stage, reimagining their ancient song about seasonal change amid a rapidly-changing climate.
Warraloo translates to 'dragonfly' in Noongar and, in an emotional moment of connection during the performance, The Dragonfly burst into life during the group's international debut of Warraloo, to rapturous applause from the thousands in the crowd at the iconic music festival.
Mr McGuire and members of Gya Ngoop Keeninyarra dance group shared the new Glastonbury stage with one of the globe's most reconisable DJs, Fatboy Slim, on Arcadia's giant, new dragonfly stage, reimagining their ancient song about seasonal change amid a rapidly-changing climate. (Image: Claudia Rayne)
Rooted in the ancient Noongar song of seasonal change, Mr McGuire said the performance symbolised transformation and unity in a rapidly changing climate.
"The beauty of standing on an international stage is the chance to share our connection to all living things," he said.
"If we as the human race look back to the First Stories - look back far enough into our culture - we'll see the connection to all peoples and the synergies of life.
"This natural balance is still held today by Mother Earth."
Astral Projekt creative director Joe Crossley and fellow artists used real time bio-mimicry with Indigenous paintings created by Mr McGuire to tell the story of Dragonfly dreaming.
Arcadia first worked with Mr McGuire and Wadjuk Noongar Nation in 2016, bringing its famed, giant, fire-breathing spider to life at Elizabeth Quay, in a collaborative re-imagination of an ancient Noongar song about a spider weaving a web of unity around the gathered nations.
The song hadn't been sung publicly for more than a century until then, with the Arcadia Spider itself a symbol of unity.
The profound performance was delivered again in 2018 at London's Olympic Park.
The pair's latest collaboration Warraloo will be performed twice more at this year's Glastonbury Festival.
Arcadia co-founder and creative director Pip Rush said the synergy with Wadjuk Noongar Nation had been an ongoing source of inspiration since that first collaboration in Perth in 2016.
"We continued to be amazed by how their ancient songs and our contemporary culture share the same stories, and we have proved that here on The Dragonfly tonight," she said from the UK.
"The reception from the Glastonbury dancefloor was mind-blowing and we can't wait to write the next chapter."
This exciting collaboration embodies a fusion of contemporary narratives with ancient knowledge, blending Aboriginal wisdom with cutting-edge stage design and performance artistry.
