Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir (GNICC)

They're pioneers! That's what I always remind them because that's what they are. They are ambassadors for their people; their professionalism and example paves the way for future opportunities being opened to other Indigenous children. Our involvement with Gondwana Choirs and all that has stemmed from it has been incredible and our lives are all the richer.Rubina Kimiia, Music Teacher, Education Queensland, Cairns

The Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir (GNICC) gives talented Indigenous children the opportunity to join with their peers from across Australia, take part in musical, social and cultural education and performance opportunities, and share the voice of their generation with the nation and the world.

Under the direction of Artistic Director & Founder Lyn Williams OAM, the GNICC is a project of Gondwana Choirs, Australia's most dynamic choral organisation - internationally renowned for its artistic excellence and innovation - also featuring the Gondwana National Choirs and Sydney Children's Choir.

The GNICC developed out of a successful collaboration between the Sydney Children's Choir and children in communities across the Torres Strait Islands during 2008 and their inaugural performance was the Papal Welcome for World Youth Day in Sydney. Since then, over 1,600 Indigenous children from the Torres Strait Islands, Cairns, Regional Victoria, Regional NSW, Sydney, South Australia and the Northern Territory have taken part in GNICC activities. The GNICC is also featured in the current Qantas advertising campaign.

The GNICC program is a pathway: Indigenous children aged approx. 8 - 16 with musical potential are identified through Community Workshops - singing and movement workshops held in schools and communities with a high proportion of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children. The workshops are led by Artistic Director Lyn Williams and highly respected Indigenous musicians and artists such as Aboriginal singers Deborah Cheetham and Shellie Morris and Torres Strait Island choreographer Sani Townson.

Participants in the Community Workshop Program are offered the opportunity to audition for Regional Music Camps. Here Indigenous young people learn new skills, draw on their creative talents and meet other talented Indigenous children from their region, again working with some of Australia's most respected conductors and music educators and Indigenous musicians and artists. Gondwana Choirs is working to develop a rich repertoire of new songs in Indigenous languages and collaborates with local linguists and songwriters , such as didjeridu player William Barton.

The final step is then into the Choir for major national and international performance opportunities. These are an important goal for the children to work towards and a means for them to inspire their peers from across the country and share their talent with Australia and the world. In 2009, the GNICC gave the world premiere of Ngailu - Boy of the Stars, a critically acclaimed Torres Strait Islander children's opera now screening on SBS' arts channel Stvdio and performed at The Dreaming Festival, in Queensland. In 2010 they performed in the Gondwana Choirs 21st birthday concert at the Sydney Opera House, at the opening of the Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair and with Jessica Mauboy at the NRL Grand Final in Sydney. With the Qantas Choir they have appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in Sydney, at the Bledisloe Cup in Sydney, the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne, at G'Day USA events in LA, New York and Houston and at Australia's National Day at World Expo in Shanghai, China. In 2011 they will perform with the world-famous Soweto Gospel Choir on their Australian tour.

All GNICC activities are made available at no cost to participating children, schools and communities.

Gondwana Choirs is a small company with a wide reach and a big vision - we receive just 15% government funding, and rely on public support to help us undertake our many diverse activities.

We need your support to continue to offer life-changing opportunities to current GNICC choristers and many more Indigenous young people throughout Australia.

• Give a one-off donation online
• Give a regular donation online
• Donate by phone
To donate by phone, call 02 9251 4226. Please have your credit card details on hand when you call.
• Donate by mail
To donate by mail, please download a printable donation form and send through the post to:
Pier 4, Hickson Rd
MILLERS POINT NSW 2000
• Donate by fax
To donate by fax, please download a printable donation form and fax to 02 9252 2801.
• Leave a bequest
To leave a bequest in your will, please read the wills and bequests page for Gondwana Choirs.