Symphony of the Dreaming

Dharawal Dreaming is a deep dive into the time in the ancestral past when the earth was liquid, and the world was occupied by Ancestral Beings.

These Ancestral Heroes were often half man half animal, and some would fly up through the earth and create different landforms and others would travel across the land leaving behind tracks of knowledges called songlines. These lines cross in all directions; connecting the land to the sea and the stars and are animated through song, dance and story so that the Library of the Dreaming is kept alive. These Ancestral Beings had unlimited power sources, and they would leave their perpetual energies at different sites that are now sacred. Upon their deaths, the dual identity of these Beings split into humans, plants and animals but the energy of the plants and animals stayed in the humans. In The Dreaming, the totemic relationships between all living things was created.

The Museum of Sydney forecourt will be transformed into the time of The Dreaming with a series of ceremonial poles emitting light and sound. Created in collaboration with Dharawal women, the cultural content will reflect the stories and songs of the traditional owners of Sydney Harbour. Artist Alison Page will work with traditional owners to imagine The Dreaming of Sydney Harbour in an interactive and immersive experience. Just as the movement of Aboriginal people through Country activates the Library of the Dreaming, the movement of people through this artwork will animate the songlines of the past.

Artist bios

Symphony of the Dreaming is the first collaboration between the artists and looks at the convergence of design, music, storytelling and Country to engage audiences and evoke a deeper understanding of the origins of Australian storytelling from deep time to now.