Supporting and inspiring our next generation of leaders.

Gomeroi Culture Academy (GCA) offers an intensive cultural leadership program that supports young Gomeroi people in their personal development by supporting them to connect with and learn traditional cultural practice in a way that complements and enhances what they learn through the school curriculum.

Being connected to our culture forms our sense of identity and shapes how we connect to the world around us; to our family, peers, community and nature. Without culture we all struggle to know where we belong, making it difficult to be true to ourselves and unlock our potential to thrive.

Trust in the ancestral knowledge of Aboriginal culture is based in finding truth in stories that do not reflect or belong to one specific point in time, but are a timeless amalgamation, interpretation and oral recounting of the stories of great value that are handed down over thousands of years from the oldest continuous culture on earth.

The GCA way of teaching these stories and traditional practices gives young people the chance to build their sense of identity through connection and pride in culture. This leads to developing personal capacities that translate into skills for life – outcomes that enable Gomeroi people to thrive in the wider world.

Traditional skills like weaving, dance, creating and playing a Yidaki (Digeridoo), or story-telling support young people to learn essential life skills such as patience, persistence, respect and self-confidence – life skills that cannot be unlearnt because the connection is real and flows into all aspects of their inner growth and outer capacity to thrive, in school, in work, in life.

The GCA is designed and delivered by the Gomeroi Dance Company and Yinarr Maramali, who have both been sharing supporting young people for well over a decade.

meet our gca team and cultural mentors

Academy DIRECTOR and mentorMARC SUTHERLANDmarc@gomeroidancecompany.org

GCA DIRECTOR and cultural mentor

MARC SUTHERLAND

marc@gomeroidancecompany.org

In his role as Director of the Gomeroi Culture Academy, Marc inspires and supports a generation of culturally strong leaders within his community. Marc is also a Co-Founder of the Gomeroi Dance Company (GDC) which has been delivering Gomeroi dance workshops and performances across the state since 2008. The GDC has been the driver for the revitalisation of cultural practice across the region and is proud to host community corroborees with up to over 150 local dancers and singers.

Marc's passion for his language has led him to become a recognised Songman within his community. Through working on Country and within the community, he is reviving old songs and creating new songs to share stories both old and new.

“Having a strong sense of identity provides a strong foundation to build on, the possibilities become endless.”

GCA coordinator & cultural Mentor

Lorrelle Munro

lorrelle@yinarrmaramali.com

Through her role as Program Director of Yinarr Maramali, Lorrelle has assisted in the coordination and facilitation of the Gomeroi Culture Academy over the past three years. Lorrelle is passionate about improving the cultural identity, strength and wellbeing of women and young people in the community, and is excited to be apart of the GCA program and sharing her knowledge of Gomeroi weaving culture.

Our Quarterly Newsletter

The GCA produces a quarterly newsletter Giirr Maaru. Click or tap the images below to download PDFs of each newsletter. And Subscribe below.

Partners

The GCA is designed and delivered in partnership with the Gomeroi Dance Company and Yinarr Maramali, and is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA).

Screen Shot 2020-03-30 at 3.17.19 pm.png

“Together our businesses create opportunities and pathways we wish
we had growing up in our Communities. ”

— Amy Hammond - director, co founder & weaver at Yinarr Maramali

Gomeroi Culture Academy