BLAK FUTURES RESIDENCIES
PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH AUSTRALIAN DANCE THEATRE AND ADELAIDE FESTIVAL
SUPPORTED BY ARTS SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Blak Futures returns in 2025. In direct response to the actions arising from our inaugural gathering, we’re thrilled to offer SA-based Blak artists residency opportunities to support the development of ambitious new choreographic works.
Australian Dance Theatre, BlakDance and Adelaide Festival are thrilled to announce Caleena Sansbury and Rikki Wilson as the recipients of the 2025 Blak Futures Residencies.
Caleena Sansbury’s Mulammar and Rikki Wilson’s I Am Pirbilya are united by an ambition to unearth complex black histories through a feminine lens, bringing the stories of remarkable women to the stage. Both works-in-development are at once personal, poignant, and complex portraits of the resilience of First Nations people and artists.
The Blak Futures residencies will give each artist access to a fully subsidised space, technical support, mentoring from ADT and BlakDance, access to Cultural Eldership and $10,000 to continue development of their work.
Read on to learn more about Rikki and Caleena and their projects.
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MULLAMAR
Mullamar is a new project by Caleena Sansbury, in collaboration with Adrianne Semmens and Kaine Sultan Babij, aiming to create a rich, multidimensional exploration of her great-grandmother Mary Cooper’s life.
By blending storytelling, physical movement, and projection, this creative development will investigate the personal and systemic challenges faced by Aboriginal people in the 1940s, highlighting their resilience and cultural significance.___
ABOUT CALEENA SANSBURY
Caleena Sansbury is a distinguished First Nations artist and cultural leader, with Ngarrindjeri, Narungga, and Kaurna heritage. Her work spans choreography, performance, and arts management, drawing from her cultural roots to explore identity and storytelling through contemporary performance. A graduate of NAISDA Dance College, Caleena has worked with renowned figures in Australian performance, including Vicki Van Hout (Long Grass, Les Festivities Lubrufier), Thomas E. S. Kelly ([MIS]CONCEIVE), and Karul Projects (SSSHIFT).
Her diverse career includes acting and physical performance in productions such as InSite Arts' Saltbush and Our Corka Bubs, and Polyglot Theatre's Tangled. Caleena also showcased her talent in the physical theatre work, The Man with the Iron Neck (Legs On the Wall).
Beyond performance, Caleena is a producer and arts leader, having contributed to the Melbourne Fringe (2018) and toured with works like Jacob Boheme’s Gurranda (2024) and Taree Sansbury’s Mi:wi (2019).
Currently, she coordinates the First Nations Dance Program at an award-winning multidisciplinary arts organisation, The Mill. As a lead artist, Caleena is dedicated to creating spaces for authentic Indigenous storytelling, guiding emerging dancers, and contributing to the ongoing conversation about cultural resilience and the future of Indigenous art.n text goes here -
I AM PIRBILYA
"Pirbilya" - A Journey Back to HERstory
Pirbilya embarks on a profound journey that reconnects the past with the present, tracing the matriarchal lineage of our Wirangu bloodlines.
Guided by ancestors, back to HERstory, as we reach out to the branches of the family tree. This production brings forth the powerful women of our line, who come together to retrace, converse, and share the wisdom of our culture, stories, and knowledge honouring the womb from which we were all birthed.
From the rocky country to the soft sands and saltwater, we trace the veins of our country, discovering our connections to each other and to ourselves.
In this celebration of the Matriarch, we stand united in strength, resilience, and heritage. Pirbilya is a declaration, a reminder, and a testament that WE are, and I AM, the continuation of these bloodlines —a living, breathing part of the land, the water, and the stories that bind us
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ABOUT RIKKI WILSON
A proud Narungga, Adnyamthanha, Wirangu, Kokotha woman with a foundation rooted in her cultural heritage, she has honed her craft under the mentorship of a diverse range of established dancers, composers, and cultural authorities within her community.
These experiences have fostered a deep sense of identity, allowing her to blend contemporary dance with the rich traditions of her lineage.
Key experiences include, works with Tjarutja Dance Theatre Collective led by Gina Rings, as a performer and performed at Dance Rites, Fringe production; Inma, Dancer in ADT; Raw.
She continues to pursue creative expression through her lineage and cultural heritage, ensuring that her work remains a reflection of her identity and an inspiration to future generations.
SA-based First Nations artists and collectives are encouraged to apply for two Blak Futures residencies.
Australian Dance Theatre, BlakDance and Adelaide Festival are thrilled to offer two residencies. Successful applicants will receive the following:
A $10,000 artist fee (with auspice support offered by ADT where required)
Supported by ADT and BlakDance, to cover the artist fee, collaborators, travel, and other residency expenses. Artists will work collaboratively with ADT and BlakDance to develop tailored budget plans, ensuring equity, cultural safety, and professional support.
Access to fully subsidised space at either The Odeon and/or LOFT at Lion Arts Centre for ten days in 2025
Basic technical support from ADT throughout the residency
Mentoring tailored to individual project needs, from ADT and BlakDance
Access to Cultural Eldership where required, with facilitation support from ADT where required. Fees for Cultural Eldership will be paid by ADT and do not fall within the artist fee.
Professional documentation (photography and videography) of the residency
If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to send ADT an email.
Applications are now open and close on Monday 13 January.