The Balnaves Foundation is proud to be supporting ILBIJERRI Theatre Company’s prison tour of Big Name, No Blankets which is currently travelling throughout Victoria and the Northern Territory.
Big Name, No Blankets is a rock’n’roll theatre show charting the phenomenal rise of Warrumpi Band, the first Australian rock act to release a record with lyrics in native language. This joyous stage show, which premiered at Sydney Festival in January of 2024 and has been touring the Australian festival circuit, was redeveloped into a condensed version with a reduced cast for an empowering and inclusive theatre experience within the prison system. In the Northern Territory, 88% of incarcerated people are First People, this story of hope, kinship, love of Country and with a message of possibility, is resonating strongly with its audience.
Check out this article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the prison tour, and the impact it is already having on audiences in the prison system:
‘So hungry for something beyond four walls’: The musical bringing joy to prisons
Sydney Morning Herald, 19 October 2024