Bangarra is thrilled to announce that Artistic Director Stephen Page has today been honoured with the Australia Council Dance Award. This prestigious award is given each year to recognise outstanding and sustained contributions by individuals working in the dance sector.
Stephen Page says of the honour: “I am always so humbled when recognised for my creative professional being and I truly believe I have one of the most fortunate and privileged position in our arts industry.”
Page was appointed Artistic Director of Bangarra in 1991 at age 25. In his 26 years with Bangarra he has developed a resonant body of work that has redefined contemporary dance in Australia and reinvented the art of storytelling to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Page says that the award reinforces the importance of dance for Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, “Thanks must go to all the incredible artists who have worked by my side over the years – my brothers, my Bangarra family who are with me every day in the studio, and the many cultural consultants we have worked with along the way,” he says.
Page has mentored and created opportunities for countless Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and youth, and has been a champion of social justice for Indigenous people.
He is currently in the process of creating Bennelong, a new full-length work, which premieres at the Sydney Opera House in June.
The production is based on the life of Woollarawarre Bennelong, a senior man of the Eora Nation, from the Port Jackson area in Sydney, whose extraordinary curiosity and diplomacy helped lead his people to survive a clash of culture.
For more information on the upcoming performance of Bennelong, including tickets and dates, see website here
