National Indigenous Television (NITV) have announced an extensive list of Indigenous performers that will take part in a live broadcast from Uluru to celebrate the channel’s 10-year anniversary.
From The Heart Of Our Nation, A Celebration will air live across both NITV and SBS on Monday December 12 at 7:30pm. The broadcast will take place at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, at the foot of Uluru itself. Among the names booked to perform at the sacred Indigenous site are King Stingray, Miiesha, JK-47, Electric Fields and the father-and-daughter duo of Troy and Jem Cassar-Daley. A full list of performers can be found below.
“Being at the launch of NITV ten years ago was very special for me,” said Troy Cassar-Daley in a press statement. “However, being a part of their 10th anniversary out at Uluru again will be amazing.
“My late mum was always watching NITV when I’d visit her down home. We agreed that the channel was a lifeline to our culture, a constant reminder of who we are and how we are all so similar. It’s also an open door to learning for all Australians.”
Tanya Denning-Orman – the Director of Indigenous Content at SBS, who is a Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman – said that the purpose of From The Heart… is “celebrating the power and strength of First Nations voices”.
“We’ve got icons like Troy, Christine [Anu] and Casey [Donovan] back on our special outdoor stage performing as the sun sets, alongside some of the most exciting talent making waves in the industry,” she said.
“The stars will be shining bright on stage and in the sky over Uluru, and what better way to bring all Australians together [than] to celebrate the joy and significance of having a dedicated platform championing First Nations voices and perspectives available free-to-air on NITV.”
Prior to the broadcast, NITV program Nula will present a special edition of the show from Uluru on Friday December 9 at 3pm. It will feature interviews with several of the performers at the broadcast, as well as stories from the Northern Territory and its Indigenous communities.
The performing line-up for From The Heart Of Our Nation, A Celebration is:
The Anangu Dancers
Casey Donovan
Christine Anu
Dyagula
Electric Fields
The INMA Dancers
Jem Cassar-Daley
JK-47
King Stingray
Miiesha
Mutijulu Band
Shane Howard
Trevor Adamson
Troy Cassar-Daley