YIRRAMBOI Returns to Arts Centre Melbourne in May

YIRRAMBOI will return to Arts Centre Melbourne with a selection of works including three world premieres, one Australian premiere and one Australian exclusive. From 1 – 11 May, the five works join the overarching festival exploration of Futures, Past – celebrating the cyclical relationship with time and recognising that a First Nations future is deeply connected to their past. Over the 10 days, the full YIRRAMBOI program will explore themes of Legacy, Joy, Reclamation and Akin.

A major honour for the festival, and a world premiere, is There’s Something I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You..., a powerful and evocative new theatre work by internationally acclaimed and legendary Cree-Saulteaux Métis artist, multi-disciplinary performer and writer, Margo Kane. This one-woman show is an evolution of her storied legacy, which includes Reflections in the Medicine Wheel, Moonlodge and Confessions of an Indian Cowboy.

From 3 – 4 May in The Show Room, this touching production invites audiences to embark on a journey of deep reflection and transformation. Through her signature wit, wisdom and warmth, Kane poses powerful questions: What territories have we traversed? What paths have brought us here? Where do we stand, and what do we stand for? Why stand at all – why not sit?! With humour, heart and profound insight, this masterful storyteller reflects on life’s transitions – and that of the audience – in a performance that promises to resonate deeply.

For YIRRAMBOI 2025, performance artist Joshua Pether (Kalkadoon) presents a world premiere work Monster In The Cyborg Body – a merging of two pivotal works from different moments in his life and artistic journey. When Monster premiered as part of the first YIRRAMBOI festival in 2017, the work became an urban legend in the arts industry – an enigma that left a lasting impression for those lucky enough to have seen it.

Staged as a sun-up-to-sundown event at Arts Centre Melbourne’s creative learning hub The Channel, this 12-hour reimagined performance blends Monster with his earlier work Cyborg Body, a work which became the catalyst for Monster and the cornerstone of Pether’s artistic practice and interrogation of the body. On Saturday 3 May, audiences are invited to experience the work at their own pace – drop in at any time, stay as long as they like and immerse themselves in the evolving exploration of Pether’s signature works.

In an Australian premiere from 9 – 10 May, award-winning performer, writer, theatre maker and producer Cian Parker shares her story about reclaiming her heritage when she is unexpectedly introduced to a father and a family she didn’t know existed. Sorry For Your Loss is a heartfelt and hilarious story about growing up on the mean streets of Aotearoa with a sometimes-there-mostly-not Dad, the power of wāhine (women) and the gift of strength from one woman to another. With live music by Andy Duggan, Parker has teamed up with director and dramaturg Laura Haughey who brings her unique physical approach to storytelling in this vibrant, award-winning piece of devised theatre at The Channel.   

In another world premiere, six extraordinary women – visionaries who have shaped the industry and redefined the arts – are coming together for a raw, unfiltered and deeply moving conversation in Table for 6. On Tuesday 6 May in The Show Room, audiences will be captivated by a theatre dinner show that pays tribute to the bold, brilliant and unapologetically strong women who have not only paved the way but are fearlessly shaping the future of the stage. These women don’t just command attention – they own it, and they’ll have audiences hanging on their every word.

Starring Kylie Belling (Yorta Yorta /Wiradjuri/South Sea Islander), Lily Shearer (Murrawarri/Ngemba), Dr. Lynette Narkle (Noongar), Margo Kane (Cree-Saulteaux Métis), Rachael Maza (Yidinji/Meriam) and Rhoda Roberts (Bundjalung), the evening will be hosted by Emily Wells (Kamilaroi). This is a moment in history curated by Rachael Maza herself, and co-devised by Sherene Stewart (Taungurung/Filipino) and Sage Wright (Anishinaabe).

Across the duration of YIRRAMBOI, Blak to the Future is crash landing onto Arts Centre Melbourne’s Forecourt in another Australian exclusive. Returning for its fifth iteration, this exhibition reflects on the deep-rooted history and ongoing presence of Blak art in Narrm. Curated by Rosie Kalina (Wemba Wemba/Gunditjmara) with lead artist Tahnee Edwards (Yorta Yorta/Taungurung), Blak to the Future dives into grassroots origins, presenting archival footage and new works within an immersive, 360-degree lounge room inspired installation.

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