GURR ERA OP (the face of the sea)

Four Torres Strait Islander women battle the rising tide

Join four mainland-born Torres Strait Islander women as they battle against the rising tide threatening their home, culture and identity. GURR ERA OP (“the face of the sea” in Meriam Mir) is a celebratory sharing of culture and a call to action in the face of climate devastation, interweaving hybrid Torres Strait Islander contemporary storytelling, movement and spoken word.

What would you do if you could never go home? Is your culture bound by place or by self? What happens to your identity when the physical place that holds your ancestral foundations disappears? 

These are some of the questions the storytellers grapple with daily as they watch their motherland, family and communities suffer the onslaught of climate change. The Torres Strait Islands are currently on the front lines – but ultimately, your home is next.  

Award-winning choreographer and performer Ghenoa Gela (My Urrwai, Sydney Festival 2018) presents her landmark work, in a culmination of many years of creative association with Force Majeure. Now in collaboration with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s Amy Sole and Rachael Maza AM (Tracker, Sydney Festival 2023, Black Ties, Sydney Festival 2020), the result is a vivid imagining of loss, and a call to action for a better future. 

Please be aware that a limited number of seats for this performance will be cushions on the floor. If you prefer a seat with a backrest, kindly inform our Front of House team. 

Relaxed Performance on Thursday 18 January at 7pm

Visit the Sydney Festival website for all the details!