Powerhouse and We Are Warriors are proud to announce the lineup for the second Blak Powerhouse, a First Nations community-led event on 26 January 2024.
Blak Powerhouse will present work from artists Shal, Michael Cook, and Tjukurpamaru and a screening of the 2022 documentary Through the Fire, which follows the work of We Are Warriors since it launched in 2022. It will also include performances from celebrated First Nations artists Maanyung, Mi-kaisha, Rona, Miss Kaninna, Becca Hatch, 3%, JK-47 and surprise special guests, along with a panel discussion on Blak Power and Excellence.
We Are Warriors (WAW) founded by Australian rapper and creator Nooky, in partnership with Powerhouse launched the inaugural Blak Powerhouse in 2023. It attracted more than 3000 people to Powerhouse Ultimo and turned a day traditionally associated with loss and sorrow into one of power and positivity.
Acknowledging that you can’t be what you can’t see and informed by Nooky’s own upbringing as a self-proclaimed warrior, We Are Warriors is an all-encompassing cultural movement and a platform dedicated to inspiring, equipping and empowering Indigenous youth to succeed by connecting them with First Nations role models.
Powerhouse established a major new partnership with We Are Warriors in June 2023, committing to ongoing support of the community-led event and the documentation of annual programming which will form part of the Powerhouse First Nations Collection.
"Last year we put on Blak Powerhouse and the sense of blak joy we created was so overwhelming for me, and I know all the mob who attended felt the same. There was so much power and resilience in the day for me it changed how I felt about January 26. If we can capture that same feeling this time around, in my eyes it’s a win," said We Are Warriors founder Nooky.
Powerhouse Associate Director First Nations Beau James said, ‘Blak Powerhouse is a formidable reclamation, a showcase of some of our finest talent. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aren’t defined by a date or a vote, and the scale of this amazing event makes it clear– since the first sunrise and until the last sunset, we are always here. Powerhouse is very honoured to be partnering for a second year with We Are Warriors.’
Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said, ‘The Powerhouse Museum is proud of our partnership with We Are Warriors and to be supporting the very best in First Nations contemporary cultural practice. Blak Powerhouse has already in its second year become an epically important event on Sydney’s cultural calendar.’
This year at 5pm on January 26, a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony will take place on the Powerhouse Ultimo forecourt, followed by a Muggera dance performance.
Register to join We Are Warriors at Powerhouse Ultimo for a night of Blak Power from 5pm to 10pm, as today’s contemporary warriors inspire the next generation. Blak Powerhouse will also be streamed live on NITV. The event is also supported by R/GA.
