The National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2025 theme, Bridging Now to Next, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. It calls on all Australians to step forward together to look ahead and to continue pushing forward, guided by the lessons of the past.
IGS marked this important week with activities across the School, with Early Learning working on a display of photos featuring places known by their First Nations names, Primary School participating in a dedicated Assembly on Friday and Years 9 to 11 going on an excursion to Bangarra for a special performance on Wednesday.
EARLY LEARNING
Our Early Learning Centre acknowledged Reconciliation Week by welcoming families to two special open mornings, creating opportunities to reflect, learn and connect. Children and families are contributing to a display of photos featuring places known by their First Nations names, honouring the richness, resilience and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
YEARS 9, 11 AND 12 DANCE STUDENTS
IGS Dance students had the opportunity to attend a performance of Illume, the new work by Bangarra Dance Theatre, choreographed by Frances Rings. Through a dynamic fusion of contemporary dance, Aboriginal dance, sound and visual design, Bangarra Dance Theatre’s works share stories rooted in land, sea and sky, reflecting First Nations philosophies and ancestral knowledge.
The performance took students on a rich cultural journey, tracing the stories of the Bardi and Jawi peoples through motifs of pearl shell carving, seasonal change, marine life and sacred connections to Country. Themes of climate change, colonisation and cultural resilience were woven through the choreography, encouraging reflection on how past and present coexist. The work’s exploration of light pollution as a metaphor for cultural erasure was especially poignant, highlighting the complex ways that First Nations knowledge systems are threatened in the modern world.
Students were captivated by the production, which worked in harmony to create a cohesive and deeply immersive theatrical experience. Attending Illume was also a meaningful step in our School’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation. By engaging with authentic, lived expressions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, students deepen their respect for First Nations peoples, histories and futures.
