Miyaay Miyaay: Seven Sisters Songline

The development of the staged production Miyaay Miyaay, based on the Gamilaroi version of the Seven Sisters songline, was inspired by the Country and landscape of the New England North West. The project was adapted during COVID from an intende stage production to a video project.

The Seven Sisters songline is an epic narrative that spans a vast area of Australia, from the West Coast through Central Australia to the North West of NSW and into Gamilaroi country. Miyaay Miyaay celebrated the Gamilaroi version of this significant Aboriginal story.

The work was developed by two key Gamilaroi artists – writer Cathy Craigie and dancer Katie Leslie. Cathy Craigie, a recipient of the prestigious 2016 New South Wales Aboriginal Arts Fellowship, was from the Gamilaroi and Anaiwan nations in northern NSW. She was the founding director of Koori Radio and the First Nation Australia Writers Network and had written several produced plays and published two children’s books. Cathy wrote short stories and worked as a writing mentor and workshop facilitator.

Katie Leslie, a proud Gamilaroi and Mandandanji woman from Moree, NSW, has a deep passion for her Aboriginal culture and heritage, as well as the performing arts. She studied acting at ACPA (The Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts) and later pursued dance at NAISDA Dance College. Since graduating, Katie has worked for many individuals and organisations, performing and teaching dance.

This project was supported by the NSW Government’s Creative Koori Fund through Create NSW and by the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund through Regional Arts NSW.

A retelling written by Cathy Craigie and illustrated by Tania Hartigan.

This story forms the basis of the Miyaay Miyaay film, with dance choreography from Katie Leslie and Shae Duncan.