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MAAR KOODJAL

SEVEN IMMERSIVE WEEKS OF FIRST NATIONS ART AND INTERACTIVE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

Event Date

27.05.2026 - 13.07.2026

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, Raine Square proudly presents the return of Maar Koodjal. This seven-week program, running from 27 May to 13 July, features immersive First Nations art and interactive cultural experiences, including live music, dance, visual performances, storytelling, art exhibitions, fashion showcases, and radio broadcasts. Join us to connect with the history, culture, and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through a diverse lineup of events led by celebrated First Nations creatives.

Framed by National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June) and NAIDOC Week (6 - 13 July), this year's theme, “50 years of Deadly” encourages reflection and celebration.

The Program

EVENTS

  

 

Active Dance Workshop & Performance

📍 Bankwest Place Plaza

📅 Wednesday 18 June, 12pm - 1pm

📅 Wednesday 8  July, 11:30am - 12:30pm

 

Didgeridoo Performance

📍 Bankwest Place Lobby

📅 Tuesday 27 May 

🕛 8am - 9 am 

🔗GET A REMINDER / BOOK A TICKET

Participate or watch an exhilarating active dance workshop and performance hosted by Corroboree for Life, a community organization founded in 2018 by proud Noongar man Ash (Garlett) Penfold.

This inclusive event invites everyone to learn and experience First Nations dances. Under Ash’s guidance and with the support of elders and partners.

Moorditj Mag Live Broadcast 

📍 Raine Square, Ground Floor

📅 TBC

🕛11am - 1pm

🔗Listen 

Join us for a special live broadcast of Moorditj Mag on RTR FM, a weekly program dedicated to Indigenous affairs, culture, music, and arts. Hosted by Noongar Elders Jim Morrison and Nick Abraham, the show features insightful discussions, empowering stories, and interviews with community leaders and artists. Tune in every Thursday at 11 am on RTR FM 92.1 to celebrate Aboriginal heritage and be part of this vibrant conversation.

Bankwest Sounds

📍 Raine Square, Ground Floor

Indigo Ellis Duo 

📅 Wednesday 8 July, 12pm - 1pm 

Billie Court Solo 

📅 Thursday 9 July, 12pm - 1pm 

Bankwest will host a live music series celebrating First Nations artists through intimate, listening‑led performances.

On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, the Indigo Ellis Duo will set the tone with a soulful, acoustic‑driven performance designed to create a warm and immersive atmosphere. The series will continue on Thursday, 9 July 2026, with Billie Court performing a powerful solo set, highlighting raw storytelling and expressive vocals.

Showcaing  the depth and diversity of contemporary Indigenous music, with Bankwest supporting a meaningful cultural experience focused on connection, creativity and sound.

Human Library Book Cafe 

📍Bankwest Place Mezzanine 

📅2 July 

🕛 4pm- 6pm 

🔗  The Human Library 

🔗  Book your spot

Step into meaningful conversations and help break down stereotypes at the Human Library. Borrow a “book” (a person) and listen to their personal stories and experiences. It’s a powerful way to build empathy and understanding.

SHOP

  

Maar Koodjal Collective 

📍Raine Lane, Pop-Up

📅27 May to 13 July 

📅Tues, Wed, Thurs, & Sat only 

🕛10am - 3pm

Meet the Maar Koodjal Collective, a curated First Nations pop‑up shop celebrating contemporary Indigenous fashion, design and storytelling. Bringing together Buy By Brenda, FLORii the Label, Kaarli, Kamia Australia and LaJala the Label, the collective showcases distinctive pieces that are thoughtful, beautifully crafted and deeply connected to culture and Country.

The pop‑up offers a space to discover and support First Nations‑owned brands, connect with the stories behind each label, and experience design that blends tradition with modern expression. It is a celebration of creativity, connection and community, highlighting the strength and diversity of First Nations entrepreneurs.

EXHIBITIONS 

  

Mabel Gibson Sound Experience 

📍 Raine Square, Ground Floor

📅 27 May to 13 July 

 

Listen to a powerful 30‑minute recording of Cry Baby by Yamaji writer Mabel Gibson, an intimate work grounded in voice, memory and truth. Through sound and story, the experience invites listeners to slow down, reflect and connect to Country, carrying emotion, place and cultural resonance through spoken word.


The Mabel Gibson Sound Experience invited audiences into a powerful listening space shaped by story, voice and Country. Drawing from Gibson’s lived experience as a Yamaji writer and acclaimed author, the session centred sound as a vessel for memory, emotion and cultural truth. Guests were guided through layered narratives that spoke to belonging, identity and resilience, offering moments of quiet intensity and deep connection. The experience encouraged listeners to slow down, sit with story and honour the voices that carry it forward, leaving the audience with a lasting sense of reflection and respect for the power of First Nations storytelling.

Maar Koodjal Plaza Paintings 

📍 Bankwest Place Plaza & Raine Lane

📅 27 May to 13 July 

Created in 2026 for Maar Koodjal, these artworks bring together three dynamic Western Australian artists (Starsan Roe, Marcia McGuire, and Courtney Garlett) whose creative practices celebrate culture, colour, and community. Each artist contributes a distinct visual language to this collaborative installation, transforming everyday ground surfaces into vibrant spaces of storytelling and connection.

Their united work invites visitors to slow down, look closer, and walk through stories grounded in Country and creativity.

Starsan Roe illuminates themes of identity, belonging, and movement through bold forms and expressive mark-making. Her work often bridges contemporary design with deep cultural narratives, inviting audiences to see familiar spaces through a renewed lens.

Marcia McGuire is known for her rhythmic patterns, organic shapes, and joyful use of colour. Her paintings celebrate connection—to Country, to people, and to shared experiences—evoking both memory and motion in the viewer.

Courtney Garlett brings a refined sense of balance and symbolism, weaving together stories of kinship, resilience, and place. Her work centres storytelling through layered patterns that honour tradition while embracing modern expression.

Unity

📍 Wentworth Building, Lobby

📅 27 May to 13 July 

In 2024 we collaborated with Julianne Wade for Unity. This installation was created by sourced preloved office furniture to create an inspiring art piece, creating unity between culture and office. The perfect symbol of work-life-balance.

This installation was created by sourced preloved office furniture to create an inspiring art piece, creating unity between culture and office. The perfect symbol of work-life-balance.

Learn more about Julianne Wade and the artists from the Whadjuk Collective.

An Evolution of Storytelling...

📍 Raine Square, Lower Ground 

In 2021 we collaborated with local artist, Rosie Paine, to hand paint six totem poles symbolising the six different seasons. The totems formed an art trail displaying through the precinct. In 2022 we learned how the six Noongar seasons 

guided food gathering, distributing recipe cards inspired by native ingredients that aligned with each season.

We were proud to collaborate with local Whadjuk Ballardong Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji man, Jayden Boundry, for cultural guidance and Whadjuk, Ballardong and Yuat artist  Jarni McGuire

COMMUNITY 

  

Collection Drive

📍 Bankwest Place, Lobby

📅 27 May to 13 July 

🕛 Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm 

🔗Nyoongar Outreach Services 

Nyoongar Outreach Services is a not‑for‑profit team of eight case workers supporting Noongar youth at risk on the streets of Northbridge every day. During Maar Koodjal, we’re hosting a donation drive to collect essential items and achievement gifts that help meet daily needs and celebrate progress through community support.

We’re collecting good‑quality second‑hand or new essentials, including mobile phones and chargers, school backpacks and stationery, teen‑appropriate trainers, art and creative supplies, makeup and grooming items, EarPods or Bluetooth speakers, hair styling tools, men’s toiletries, gift cards, non‑perishable snacks and drinks, and unisex hoodies or sweatwear.

Spotlight Series 

📍 Short Story Machine, Raine Square,  Ground Floor

📅  May to July 

🔗 Short Story Online 

The Short Story interactive machine will dispense stories at random with a press of the button.

The Short Story Machine for First Nations is a storytelling platform that amplifies the voices of First Nations writers through sound, literature and place. In partnership with Community Arts Network, Night Parrot Press, Writing WA and RTR FM, the project shares original short stories that honour culture, language, lived experience and contemporary Indigenous storytelling. By combining published works, emerging voices and audio-led experiences, the Short Story Machine creates accessible moments to listen, reflect and connect with stories of Country, identity and community in meaningful public spaces.

OUR PARTNERS