Moogahlin Performing Arts reclaims Indigenous stories in Australia
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In Redfern, a suburb of Sydney, Australia, Lily Shearer and fellow artists co-founded Moogahlin Performing Arts in 2009 to honor First Nations storytelling traditions.
The company arose from a desire to fulfill the legacy of Uncle Kevin Smith, an Aboriginal activist who wished to establish a local Indigenous theater. Moogahlin deliberately avoids the label “theater company” to avoid being confined by Western performance conventions, instead embracing storytelling through dance, music, and oral traditions.
The group began as a grassroots organization, operating without a permanent space or consistent funding, but maintained strong ties to the Redfern community, recognized as a central hub for Australia’s First Peoples movement. Redfern became a gathering place for people displaced from missions and reserves after policies aimed at assimilation ended, and Moogahlin’s work addresses the intergenerational trauma and hardship experienced by these communities.
Moogahlin has grown into a major force on the international stage, showcasing original works through the Yellamundie Festival and producing landmark productions like “The Visitors,” which reframes the history of British colonization by presenting events from the perspective of Indigenous Australians. The company also connects cultural preservation with environmental advocacy through the Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival, held at the ancient Brewarrina Fish Traps, and advocates for the protection of the river system and traditional lands.
