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Born in the basement of a shopping centre in Kuranda in 1987, the Tjapukai story is nothing short of phenomenal. A dream which combined a love of the theatre and a rich ancient culture. Don and Judy Freeman, international theatre artists along with seven young men of the Tjapukai tribe produced a one hour play that harnessed the spirit of the “BAMA” and presented it with love humour and compassion. The show opened at a time when no one was sure what it would mean to present the Indigenous culture through tourism.
Using theatre as a medium, a partnership of black and white like minded people was successful in showcasing this culture to a global audience over a period of 20 years and to more than 2,000,000 visitors. The Tjapukai Dance Theatre offered the first ever opportunity for tourist visitors to experience and interact with Australia's 40,000 year old culture. Today, Tjapukai's show business has become the most awarded Aboriginal cultural attraction in Australia and is credited with enhancing reconciliation locally, nationally and internationally. Tjapukai showcases the culture of the rainforest people of Tropical North Queensland. Situated on 25 acres of land owned by the Tjapukai people at Caravonica, north of Cairns, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park is a stunning theatrical interpretation of Aboiginal culture from the beginning of time into the future. Seven separate arenas allow visitors to experience every facet of the rainforest people's culture - from the provocative History Theatre to the inspiring Creation Theatre, and the original Dance Theatre and the interactive Camp Village, where visitors can learn didgeridoo playing and boomerang throwing. In July 1998, Australian PM John Howard presented the new generation Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park at Smithfield - now the largest private employer of Aboriginal Australians - with a plaque celebrating their achievement as Australia's foremost cultural ambassadors. Tjapukai's multi-award winning indigenous business is an incredible success story, and the flagship for marketing Australia's indigenous culture internationally. HISTORY In 1987, Don and Judy Freeman along with partners David and Cindy Hudson, Willie Brim, Alby Baird, Wayne Nicols, Irwin Riley, Neville Hobbler and Dion Riley created Australia's first Aboriginal dance theatre - the first ever opportunity for tourist visitors to experience and interact with a 40,000 year old culture that most Australians had relegated as belonging to social security handouts and fringe dwellers. Its success has eased racial tension, spurred self determination and has revived a local Aboriginal language and a culture which once seemed doomed. "The Tjapukai people were an oppressed minority for generations," said Don Freeman. "Now they express their identity and culture to a worldwide audience. They have pride and respect in themselves and have won the same from the whites." More than that, it has brought the Tjapukai culture into the homes of the Tjapukai speaking people for the first time in five generations. When Tjapukai began a dozen years ago, only a few elders were found to speak the ancient language. Today the cultural revival spurred by the theatre has regenerated the tongue and Tjapukai is now taught in local primary schools. "I speak fluently now. I know about my culture and I am proud of it," says cast member Joe Snider. "I'm also earning good money." Cast members now have financial security they would not have dreamt of a few years ago when they were itinerant workers or unemployed. Many have bought homes, a relatively new achievement in the Aboriginal community. The empowerment for the Tjapukai community extends even further. In 1996, after nine years of successful operations, Don and Judy Freeman designed, produced and directed the relocation of Tjapukai to its current 25 acre site at Caravonica, and expanded its business activities. Tjapukai created their new attraction, the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park some 15 minutes north of Cairns, and the park's majority shareholders became the Aboriginal tribal councils, the area's original landholders, ensuring that the benefits of cultural tourism are conferred directly back to the people, the bama, of the Rainforest. And Tjapukai has had a wider impact - the success of the company has encouraged the formation of other Aboriginal dance groups which vie for their share of the tourist dollar, creating more new jobs for Aboriginal people in the growth industry of tourism.
Tjapukai founders Don and Judy Freeman through their company Freeman Productions, are currently assisting cultural tourism development globally, They are tourism consultants with a proven track record, especially in Indigenous Tourism projects. They are able to provide help at any stage of the development from concept, through detailed design and construction, to mentoring the operations of a completed enterprise. Freeman Productions pride themselves on their ability to involve the community and relevant stakeholders in all phases of the design and development of a project, and have proven abilities in this area. They offer assistance with concept planning, scoping exercises, feasibility studies, financial management, corporate governance, product development and management, marketing planning and execution, collateral development, PR and media advice.
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