Acknowledgement – Kutcha Edwards, James Rigby, Peace Choir & The Putbacks

This special 2026 Festival commission brings together two elder statesmen of the Australian music scene. Kutcha Edwards, Songman and songwriter, uses music to create connections across cultures, generations, and spaces. James Rigby has been working with local community choirs to explore ideas of community and identity, particularly identity as defined by the land where we live. James and Kutcha will be joined on the Town Hall stage by the Castlemaine based Putbacks and Peace Choir. With stories and songs from the students of the Nalderun First Nations education program, Meeting Place collaborating with Melbourne’s Golden Scissor Puppets on production visuals. Together they create a performance where you feel and better understand how every day we live, work, and dream on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands. An evening of spirit, passion and connection on Djaara Country.