“Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing the Rainbow),” a Taiwan-Australia co-production, debuted at the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts (Asia TOPA), held from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1 at Arts Centre Melbourne.
“Gapu Ŋupan” weaves together Yolŋu songlines from North East Arnhem Land and storytelling from Paiwan and Amis artists of Taiwan. “Gapu,” meaning “water” in Yolŋu, and “Ŋupan,” meaning “chasing,” symbolize bodies of water not only as geographical boundaries but also as bridges for cultural exchange.
An ABC News’s article, titled “Shared histories of Taiwan’s Indigenous people and Australia’s Yolŋu on display in new cross-cultural performance,” noted “thousands of kilometres of ocean separate Banula Marika’s Yolŋu people from the original custodians of the Pacific island of Taiwan — but despite vast distances between them, they’ve found something shared.”
Asia TOPA creative director Jeff Khan praised the performance at a post-show cocktail reception on Feb. 28. He highlighted that “Gapu Ŋupan” marks a significant milestone in cross-community and cross-cultural collaboration, deepening the connection between Australia’s and Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples.
Core members of the production from Taiwan include co-artistic director and composer Suming Rupi (舒米恩・魯碧), co-producer Dremedreman Curimudjuq (廖敏), and performer Seredau Taliyaran (桑梅絹). They emphasized that the international team spent five years building a partnership founded on trust, understanding, and respect to bring this performance to life.