“We want to share the success we have had, within our community and homelands, to help the young ones understand how

to put performances together and tour them around the world. That’s what we have done me and my family.

Now we want to do it Yolngu way, starting with Learning on Country, through homeland schools, and help

prepare the new generation for expressing our culture in traditional and contemporary ways,

for wide audiences, all around the world.”

Guypunura Janet Munyarryun (winner 2012 Deadly "Dancer of the Year" Award)

A community-driven initiative emerging from North-East Arnhem Land, Bunggul Djama supports the development and production of Yolngu-led, multi-disciplinary performing arts and mixed-media projects.

The objective of Bunggul Djama is to deliver, through a “Learning on Country” approach, sustainable arts, music and dance programs, developed in remote homeland communities, that offer training, business and employment outcomes.

Through the Bunggul Djama structure, which combines the cultural protocols of Yolngu custodianship with philanthropic, corporate and community-based partnerships, a Homelands-based arts alliance is beng developed initially in the Laynhapuy region that has the potential to form a wider network across Arhnem Land.

Within the context of its Training and Performance program Bunggul Djama will move toward the realisation of a Yolngu managed and run Performing Arts company to be established within a selected network of these homeland communities that is able to showcase Yolngu culture through performance-based works. 

The objectives of the Bunggul Djama program have been spear-headed by Djakapurra Munyarryun, a highly acclaimed Yolngu Performing artist who has been involved as a lead artist, creative collaborator and cultural consultant in numerous national and international projects including the work of Bangarra Dance Theatre, Australian Ballet, the Atlanta closing & Sydney opening Olympic ceremonies, and has evolved through discussion with a number of Yolngu community leaders. Djakapurra is the Creative Director of Bunggul Djama and works alongside his sister and Associate Artstic Director, Janet Guypunura (Deadly Award 2012 "Dancer of the Year").

The two-way structure of the organization focuses on building a sustainable model based on Yolngu structured principles of Galtha Rom and is underpinned by community-defined objectives. It embraces the bilingual Laynhapuy Homeland higher education structure centred in Garrthalala Homeland and headed up by Yolngu elder and Senior Yongul Teacher Multhara Mununggurr.

Garthalala Homeland is the key educational hub for the Laynhapuy Homeland Association (LHA), provisioning all Secondary School Education through the SHEP program and further, providing a weekly boarding environment for up to 50 students from across the 19 homelands. By working in parallel with current development plans in Garrthalala and strategically with like-minded organisations in the region, Bunggul Djama will develop community-based VET (Vocational Education Training) programs in Performance, Entertainment and Digital Media.