FIRST NATION: Direct from Elcho Island, Djuki Mala (Djuki meaning 'bird' with a Yolngu accent and

Mala
meaning 'mob') perform a high-energy and stunning fusion of traditional Indigenous culture, contemporary
dance and storytelling.

NEWS

Arts grants get Chooky Dancers doing the

Zorba
by JAVIER ENCALADA
13th Sep 2018 9:00 AM
Subscriber only

THREE Byron Shire acts were the only successful Northern Rivers artists to receive grants from the
Federal Government.
The Australia Council's latest grant round will deliver $6.3 million to Australian artists, supporting more
than 200 diverse and ambitious projects from individual artists, groups and organisations.
Of that amount, more than $110,000 was granted to three projects from the Richmond electorate area:

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David Stavanger (Myocum, $25,000): Poet David Stavanger received a grant to support the
completion of his poetry manuscript, as well as a compilation of Australian poetry.
Leyla Stevens (Myocum, $10,300): Artist Leyla Stevens received a visual arts grant, supporting a new
moving image work looking at shared histories between Australia and Bali.
The project will involve international collaboration with local researchers and participants.
Djuki Mala - (Brunswick Heads, $84,234): They are the dancers from Elcho Island, the Chooky
Dancers that captured 1.4 million YouTube fans worldwide with their 2007 viral video of their Zorba The
Greek dance, and they continue thirlling audiences with their reinterpretation of popular culture with
traditional dance.
Djuki Mala received a grant to support development their new show Djal (describes love, desire & human
will power) in October 2018.
Although the dancers are not from the area, their manager lives in Brunswick Heads, so funding has been
allocated to this area.
Djuki Mala's current self-titled production has been successfully touring around the world to critical
acclaim for more than five years.
"Using dance, theatre, circus and music, Djuki Mala's new show will see them working with local singers
and producers from the Northern Territory to create original music, while collaborating with local and
international guest choreographers and artists they have worked with over the years," the council's
statement said.
Australia Council grant applications are peer assessed by panels of industry experts from across the
country.
Applications for the next grants round close on October 2, 2018.