Community Cultural Development

An important part of Kurruru’s work has been the establishment and maintenance of strong links with regional Aboriginal communities in South Australia. Working with communities across regional South Australia, including communities in the northern Flinders Ranges, Murray Bridge, Raukkan, Port Augusta, Meningie, Ceduna and Port Lincoln, Kurruru has coordinated workshops and performance opportunities in dance, circus, music, theatre, design and costume-making. Kurruru has also taking part in important regional festivals, including Oyster Fest (Ceduna, 2006), Yarnballa Cultural Festival (Port Augusta, 2008) and Croc Fest (Port Augusta, 2003 – 2007).

Blak Nite

Almost 2000 people got their fix of music, dance, fashion, visual art and workshops at the hottest Indigenous youth art festival South Australia has to offer. Blak Nite is a biennial showcase of South Australia's best emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth artists.

Held on 26 March as part of the Come Out Festival, and presented by Carclew Youth Arts and Kurruru Youth Performing Arts, Blak Nite 2011 featured more than 100 young performers from regional, remote and metropolitan areas.

Blak Nite was an all-star jam of traditional and contemporary music and performance, featuring Adelaide MC, producer and DJ Jimblah who launched his highly anticipated debut album. The line-up of talented artists also included Karnage and Darknis, Mimili Mob, Sunlight Band, Kurruru Choir, Rikina Inma Dancers, Riverland Dancers and many more.

Something for everyone, Blak Nite celebrated the best of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth arts and culture with a broad mixture of artistic offerings, workshops, activities for children and stalls selling a variety of wares and food.

Blak Nite is funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council and Arts SA and is an alcohol and drug free event.

Boys Program

In 2007 Kurruru secured funding from the SA Government’s Social Inclusion Initiative to establish a Boys and Young Men’s program, engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys and young men in cultural and artistic activities building on Kurruru’s successful Boyz Kulcha Moves work of 2004 - 2006. Taking a cultural and artistic approach to providing early intervention and exploring the social issues that surround boys and young men’s interaction with the justice system, Kurruru's program provided tools to enhance participants’ social health, sense of self-esteem and self-worth, cultural identity and connection with their families and community.