First Lights – Kooranup
Yabini Kickett and Cass Lynch and Ilona McGuire and Tyrown Waigana

“Kooranup, is the place beyond the horizon and past Moombaki, where the water meets the sky. It is the heavenly shore located in the far west. Our spirits final resting place in the Noongar Nyitting (Dreaming)”. – Ilona McGuire

As a part of the Fremantle Biennale’s fourth festival SIGNALS 23, First Lights: Kooranup was presented; a sequel to the stories shared through First Lights: Moombaki in 2021. This epic spectacle of light, movement and sound will again transform the night sky with 160 drones taking flight over the stage of the bilya (river) and wardan (ocean).

The Fremantle Biennale’s fleet of 160 drones took flight over the bilya (river) and warden (ocean), revealing the first stories of place across three weekends and three locations, created by artists Yabini Kickett, Cass Lynch, Tyrown Waigana, and Ilona McGuire, guided by Whadjuk Nyoongar Traditional Owners.

On the first weekend, as the saltwater laps at the shores of Bathers Beach, Tyrown Waigana brought to life a witty reflection of an ancient story of ancestral beings and their epic battle that shaped our coastline.

On the expansive grounds at the rivers edge, Yabini Kickett’s offering called us to attention within the natural landscape; from the whispering winds through the sheoaks to chirping frogs of the bilya (river), this is a story of kinship, interconnectedness and transformation.

The last chapter unfolded across the ocean, on Wadjemup (Rottnest Island), with a collective offering, led by Ilona McGuire and writer Cass Lynch. This closing chapter offers a space for deep contemplation across land and water, weaving together the many stories across time, both beautiful and heartbreaking, that are held by the island.

Co-presented with City of Fremantle, City of Melville and Rottnest Island Authority.

Artists: Yabini Kickett (Dyoondalup), Cass Lynch (Wadjemup & Dyoondalup), Tyrown Waigana (Manjaree) and Ilona McGuire (Wadjemup).
Whadjuk Cultural Advisory Group: Aurora Abraham, Len Collard, Walter McGuire Jnr, Ezra Jacobs-Smith and Glenys Yarran.
Composers: Thalia Skopellos, Ned Beckley, Josh Hogan
Narrators: Jayden Boundry, Walter McGuire and Mitch Walley
Sound Design: Envelope Audio
Animation: Jarrad Russell
Technical Partner: Stellar Lights
Livestream & Videography: Kitecast