Culture on Country
26th January 2026 from 5:00PM - 8:00PM
La Perouse Headland, front of Museum
Free
A day for all ages – mob, allies and families are invited to experience live music, dance, drop-in activities and more.
Culture on Country 2026
Program
Join us on the La Perouse Headland this 26 January as we come together to celebrate survival, resistance, and the enduring strength of First Nations cultures.
This years Culture on Country will be hosted by Sean Choolburra and features a vibrant program of live music and cultural performances. Live music performances include Cianna Walker and Stiff Gins, alongside cultural dance performances by Doonooch Dancers and Wuruniri.
Visitors are also invited to take part in free, drop-in workshops throughout the day, including weaving with Malima and shellwork with Aunty Maxine Ryan.
Watch the sunset and enjoy a free community BBQ for dinner, open to everyone as part of the event.
Music
Stiff Gins
The acclaimed duo of Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta woman Kaleena Briggs and Yuwaalaraay woman Nardi Simpson — stand as Australia’s longest-currently-performing all-Indigenous female group. With more than two decades of music-making, they bring audiences a powerful blend of music, culture and language, delivered through breathtaking harmonies and warm, witty storytelling.
Their performances create an atmosphere of joy, spirit and deep connection, all while Kaleena and Nardi continue to nurture emerging First Nations musicians and share their artistry with audiences around the world. Their newest album, Crossroads, has been recognised as a finalist in the NSW Music Prize for Best First Nations Album, underscoring their ongoing impact as cultural leaders and musical innovators. Produced by Syd Green, Crossroads weaves together folk, roots and Indigenous languages with refined lyrical storytelling, reflecting both personal evolution and the strength of their long creative partnership. It stands as their most accomplished work yet - a testament to their enduring place in Australia’s musical landscape.
Music
Kobie Dee
Kobie Dee is a powerful Australian hip-hop artist and storyteller whose music blends sharp lyricism with honesty, heart, and cultural pride. A proud Gomeroi man from Maroubra, NSW, Kobie has become one of the most respected voices in contemporary Australian rap, known for his raw reflections on identity, fatherhood, resilience, and community. His acclaimed releases Gratitude Over Pity and Chapter 26 showcase both technical skill and emotional depth, earning national recognition and millions of streams. More than just a rapper, Kobie Dee uses his platform to inspire, uplift, and represent a new generation of First Nations voices in music and beyond.
Music
Cianna Walker
Cianna Walker is a proud Walbunja and Gumbaynggirr musician raised on Gadigal and Bidjigal lands in Sydney, Australia. An emerging force in contemporary First Nations music, Cianna blends soul, country, folk, and R&B while singing in several Aboriginal Languages, including her own, Gumbaynggirr.
Her music celebrates culture, language, and storytelling, weaving her identity and lived experience into every performance. Having performed across Australia at major national events and community gatherings, Cianna creates spaces of connection and pride that honour First Nations resilience and creativity.
Also an aspiring academic, Cianna explores the role of music and language in cultural expression and identity — using her creative practice and research as powerful tools for reclamation, resistance, and change.
Dance
Doonooch Dancers
Doonooch Dancers are an exciting Aboriginal dance group based on the South East Coast of NSW. Founded by Bobby McLeod in the early 1990s, the group is widely recognised as one of the leading Aboriginal dance groups in New South Wales.
Through powerful song and dance, Doonooch Dancers promote and share traditional Aboriginal culture, bringing stories, knowledge, and connection to Country to audiences of all ages. Their performances celebrate the strength and continuity of First Nations culture and play an important role in cultural education, community events, and major performances across the state.
Dance
Wuruniri Music & Dance
Led by Matthew Doyle, Wuruniri Music & Dance is a cultural performance group dedicated to sharing Aboriginal music, dance, and storytelling. Their performances blend traditional and contemporary elements to celebrate connection to Country, culture, and community.
Wuruniri's past performances include National Sorry Day, the APEC conference in 2007, they have performed for the Pope and were involved in the World Youth Day Celebrations in 2009. They have also performed with the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, at the 2009 Masters Games and in the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2000 Olympics.
Dance
Brolga Dance Academy
Founded in 2020 by proud Gamilaroi and Murrawari woman Jodie Welsh, Brolga Dance Academy is a 100% Aboriginal-owned dance school in Redfern. Built on respect for Culture and community, Brolga is a place where dance becomes a powerful expression of identity, storytelling and connection.
Specialising in Traditional and Contemporary Aboriginal dance, Brolga offers classes and workshops led by respected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Students gain not only artistic skills, but confidence, cultural knowledge and pathways for personal growth.
More than a dance school, Brolga is a cultural experience—inviting every young person to explore, enhance and embrace their cultural dance journey, and most importantly, Dare to Dance!
Workshop
Shellwork with Aunty Maxine Ryan
Create your own shellwork artefact with Aunty Maxine Ryan.
In this drop-in workshop you'll learn about the shellwork tradition of our local La Perouse Aboriginal community and have the chance to create a boomerang adorned with shells, an arts practice upheld for generations.
Aunty Maxine Ryan is an Aboriginal woman from the La Perouse Aboriginal Community. She has passed on her passion of Aboriginal arts and crafts to her grandchildren, especially shell-art which she learned from her mother, a craft that has been passed down through generations in her family.
Workshop
Weaving with Malima
Drop in and learn to weaving with Malima, a family-run business in the La Perouse Aboriginal Community with deep connections to Botany Bay, coastal Sydney, and cultural ties extending across NSW and Victoria. Grounded in generations of knowledge, Malima shares Aboriginal cultural traditions through hands-on workshops and community-led learning experiences.
Specialising in weaving and cultural education, Malima’s workshops is open to all skill levels and offers participants the opportunity to learn directly from knowledgeable and passionate practitioners. The session will explore the cultural significance of native plants, including their traditional uses, medicinal properties, and sustainable harvesting and cultivation practices, alongside interactive demonstrations.
