Gurr Era Op

Created by Ghenoa Gela and produced by Force Majeure in association with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company  

Join three 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, the result is a vivid imagining of loss and a call to action for a better future.

"Ghenoa Gela and her ensemble offer a masterful blend of art and activism, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of those  privileged to see this powerful and timely production." - That Show Blog

2024 Tour

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government's Major Festivals Initiative, managed by Creative Australia, its Arts Funding and Advisory Body, in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., commissioned by Sydney Festival, RISING, Brisbane Festival and Ten Days in the Island