Generations And Dynasties To Return To The Sydney Opera House In Expanded Four-Event Series

Following its debut at the Sydney Opera House last year, First Nations storytelling series Generations And Dynasties will return in 2025, continuing to honour First Nations families through conversation, storytelling and live performance. 

This year’s edition of Generations And Dynasties will feature a lineup of outstanding First Nations creative and musical families who will share their stories, talents and legacies through spellbinding live music and soul-enriching conversations. Audiences can expect to hear from William Barton and Aunty Delmae Barton on the 29th of April, Bunna Lawrie and family on the 14th of May, Christine Anu and Zipporah Corser-Anu on the 7th of August and Naomi and Joel Wenitong on the 14th of August.

Generations And Dynasties is a showcase of musical and cultural ties within each family, encouraging each to share stories that draw on their own experiences with culture and community. These conversations will act as open forums for the families to discuss cross-generational influences, explore themes of resilience, creativity discrimination and empowerment within their music and connect with the audience through a brief Q&A. 

Head of First Nations Programming at the Sydney Opera House, Michael Hutchings, spoke on the empowering reception toward 2024’s Generations And Dynasties, stating:

“The response to Generations & Dynasties from community and artists has been rich and rewarding. It’s a privilege to create a forum where this special intersection of culture, creativity and intergenerational exchange can be celebrated. We are so excited to bring the second series to life with such a stacked line-up of industry-leading musicians, who have all been inspirational innovators in their own ways. This series allows us to honour the living tradition that spans tens of thousands of years of sharing songs and stories here on Tubowgule, where the Opera House now stands.”

Kicking off the series is the Barton Family, where acclaimed didgeridoo player, multi-instrumentalist and composer, William Barton, and his mother Aunty Delmae Barton, a renowned Dreamtime opera diva, will be in conversation with artist Rhyan Clapham aka Dobby. The Lawrie Family will ring in the second session of the series, where proud Mirning Elder from the Nullarbor and founding member of Coloured Stone, Bunnie Lawrie, will appear alongside his children Jason Scott, Jhindu-Pedro Lawrie, Yirgjhilya and Catherine Satour, where they will be in conversation with the Sydney Opera House’s own Michael Hutchings. 

The third session will feature the Anu Family, where Torres Strait Islander artist Christine Anu and her daughter and rising performer Zipporah will be in conversation with Pirra frontwoman Jess Beck. Finally, the series will close with the Wenitong Family, where brother-sister duo from Gubbi Gubbi Nation Naomi and Joel “Weno” Wenitong will be in conversation with Shannon Williams aka Brothablack.

Tickets to Generations And Dynasties are available to purchase now here.