Black Arm Band facts for kids

Black Arm Band is a special music and theatre group from Australia. It brings together talented Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander artists to share their stories, culture, and music.

How Black Arm Band Started

The Black Arm Band group began in late 2005. It was started by Steven Richardson. Since their first show in 2006, they have created many big performances. They also do important educational work in remote Aboriginal communities.

The group's name comes from something a former Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, once said. He talked about a "black armband view of history." This phrase was used to describe looking at Australia's past, especially its difficult parts, with sadness and regret. The group chose this name to show they are not afraid to look at history honestly and to celebrate Indigenous culture.

Their very first show was called murundak. This word means "alive" in the Woiwurrung language. It was first performed at the 2006 Melbourne International Arts Festival. After that, it toured all around Australia and even went to London. Their next big show, Hidden Republic, came out in 2008 at the same festival.

In 2009, the group created Dirtsong. This musical theatre show was also thought up and directed by Steven Richardson. The words for the songs were written by the famous author Alexis Wright. Dirtsong mixed both new and old songs. It was a wonderful way to celebrate and help keep Indigenous languages alive. The show was so popular that it was performed again in 2014 at the Adelaide Festival. Many great singers and musicians were part of it, like Archie Roach and Emma Donovan. Some of the songs were sung in different Aboriginal languages.

Another show, Seven Songs to Leave Behind, came out in 2010. This show brought together Indigenous singers and musicians from Australia with famous international artists. These included Gurrumul Yunupingu, Sinéad O'Connor, and John Cale.

In 2011, they performed Notes From the Hard Road And Beyond. This show celebrated protest music, from songs of the 1960s to modern Indigenous songs about standing up for what is right.

Who Are the Members?

The Black Arm Band is made up of musicians from all over Australia. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists are part of the group. They come from many different musical backgrounds.

Some of the talented members have included:

• David Arden
• Mark Atkins
• Lou Bennett
• Deline Briscoe
• George Burarrwanga
• John Butler
• Liz Cavanagh
• Sally Dastey
• Emma Donovan
• Kutcha Edwards
• Dewayne Everettsmith
• Leah Flanagan
• Carole Fraser
• Joe Geia
• Shane Howard
• Ruby Hunter
• Paul Kelly
• Bunna Lawrie
• Jimmy Little
• Rachael Maza
• Djolpa McKenzie
• Michael Meagher
• Lee Morgan
• Shellie Morris
• Stephen Pigram
• Archie Roach
• Peter Rotumah
• Amy Saunders
• Greg Sheehan
• Dan Sultan
• Bart Willoughby
• Ursula Yovich
• Gurrumul Yunupingu
• Gabanbulu Yunupingu

Main Productions

Here are some of the major shows created by Black Arm Band:

• murundak, 2006
• Hidden Republic, 2008
• Dirtsong, 2009
• Seven Songs to Leave Behind, 2010
• Notes from the Hard Road and Beyond, 2011
• Mamiaith - Mother Tongue, 2012
• Ngangwarra means heart, 2013
• Nyami, a show made with the Bangarra Dance Theatre, which was being created in 2018.

Music Albums

Black Arm Band has also released music albums from their live shows.

Awards and Recognition

Black Arm Band has won several awards for their amazing work in music and theatre.

In 2013, the group won the Building Health through the Arts Award.

The Deadly Awards

The Deadly Awards were a special event that celebrated the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in music, sport, and entertainment. They ran from 1995 to 2013.

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards celebrate live entertainment and performing arts in Australia.

Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards

The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards recognize great achievements in different performing arts like dance, music, and theatre.