sydney opera house
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the inspiring women who are trailblazers and continue to pave the way for future generations.
Australia’s Cultural Attractions is a collection of Australia’s most iconic attractions, celebrating the diverse history, arts, culture and sport that has defined the country’s identity. A 17-member organization that connects Australia’s landmark cultural sites, connecting individuals and groups with the artists, curators and professionals who create, protect and showcase these major cultural sites. It offers a variety of immersive experiences. A 17-member organization that connects Australia’s landmark cultural sites, connecting individuals and groups with the artists, curators and professionals who create, protect and showcase these major cultural sites. It offers a variety of immersive experiences.
Bangarra Dance Theatre, Artistic Director: Francis Rings
Bangarra Dance Theater is a company of professional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers and one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. Started in 1989, their dance techniques are forged from more than 65,000 years of culture and embodied in modern movement. Bangarra premieres new works each June at Australia’s most iconic venue, the Sydney Opera House, followed by a national tour.
Frances Rings will take over as artistic director in 2023, following the retirement of Stephen Page after 33 years as artistic director. Francis is a descendant of the Willang and Milning peoples of South Australia’s west coast and currently leads Bangarra Dance Theater Company as co-CEO with Louise Ingram. Francis has won multiple awards for his own work and has performed internationally with both Kahawi Dance Theater at Six Nations on Turtle Island (Canada) and Atamira Dance Company in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand). and building important cross-cultural relationships.
Fremantle Prison, Artist & Tour Guide: Janine Della Bosca
Visual artist Janine Della Bosca was fascinated by the historic Fremantle Prison long before she began running painting classes at the prison and working as a tour guide. The convict-built prison is now a World Heritage Site and represented the end of prisoner transport to Australia from the 18th to the 19th century, and operated for 136 years before being abolished in 1991. .
Currently, Janine takes visitors on a variety of tours within the prison, including nighttime torchlight tours, tunnel tours, and prison art tours. The artwork includes etchings, Aboriginal landscapes, pixel paintings, and various graffiti and tattoos of his art, some of which dates back to his 1800s.
Janine says: “When you view a work of art in a high-security prison, the whole meaning of the work of art changes. You’re not in a nice gallery. You’re in this really locked-down situation. .”
Janine said due to the intimate nature of the Prison Art experience, participants are encouraged to attend in groups of 12 or fewer and share their thoughts about the work. “People are elated, and I think it’s because we’re talking about individuals on this tour. These are real people.”
Melbourne Cricket Ground, VIP Guide: Miyuki Yoshida
The spiritual home of sport in Victoria and considered the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is Australia’s premier sports stadium. This iconic stadium has hosted cricket matches since 1853, hosted the Olympic Games in 1956, the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and has hosted many major events in Melbourne’s history, and today That continues. The MCG is an Australian icon, offering VIP and behind-the-scenes tours of Australia’s cultural landmarks and the home of the Australian Museum of Sport.
When Miyuki Yoshida came to Australia from Japan via the United States in 1983, she knew nothing about Australian sport. After watching her Aussie rules football game, she became hooked and in 1986 when the Members Reserve was opened to women, she wrote down her name. . Today, some 35 years later, Miyuki is one of her volunteer guides at what is arguably Australia’s most sacred sporting stadium. Miyuki, who has spent her career in the financial industry, reveals all the stories and secrets behind the grounds and the athletes who have graced them. She also guides visitors through her high-tech Australian Sports Museum and gives a personalized introduction to her one of the world’s sporting capitals.