The iconic Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo is handing the mic to First Nations community on Friday, January 26, for an empowering after-hours event in partnership with We Are Warriors. Blak Powerhouse is an evening of live music, dance, performance, art, food, discussion and more for all ages – mob, allies and advocates. The line-up features performances from celebrated Indigenous musical acts including fierce ‘Blak Britney’ singer Miss Kaninna (Triple J’s 2023 Unearthed Artist of the Year) and First Nations hip-hop supergroup 3%, along with Maanyung, Mi-kaisha, Rona, Becca Hatch, JK-47 and surprise special guests.
The takeover will also present work from artists Shal, Michael Cook, and Tjukurpamaru, a panel discussion on Blak Power and Excellence (6pm), and a screening of the 2022 documentary Through the Fire (playing 5-10pm), which follows the work of We Are Warriors since it launched in 2022.
Founded by Australian rapper and creator Nooky, We Are Warriors launched the inaugural Blak Powerhouse in 2023 in partnership with the Powerhouse. It attracted more than 3,000 people to the museum and turned a day that is, for many, traditionally associated with loss and sorrow, into one of power and positivity.
Acknowledging that you can’t be what you can’t see and informed by Nooky’s own upbringing as a self-proclaimed warrior, We Are Warriors is an all-encompassing cultural movement and a platform dedicated to inspiring, equipping and empowering Indigenous youth to succeed by connecting them with First Nations role models.
“Last year we put on Blak Powerhouse and the sense of blak joy we created was so overwhelming for me, and I know all the mob who attended felt the same,” says Nooky. “There was so much power and resilience in the day for me, it changed how I felt about January 26. If we can capture that same feeling this time around, in my eyes it’s a win.”
This year’s event will kick off at 5pm with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony taking place on the Powerhouse Ultimo forecourt, followed by a Muggera dance performance, with the celebration taking over the whole museum kicking on ‘til 10pm.
Blak Powerhouse is free to attend, but registrations are required over here. The event runs from 5-10pm on Friday, January 26, at the Powerhouse Ultimo, Gadigal Land. There will be a bar open onsite from 5-10pm.