The Artists
Song Men for All Seasons
These are the voices Kawal will capture. Living custodians of song traditions that stretch back millennia — still singing, still teaching, still calling out.
A Digital Feature Series for SBS NITV
Yidindji for "Calling Out"
An intimate, audio-led digital experience profiling the Song Men and Song Women of this continent.
"The Western world is obsessed with the visual. We want to be heard."
Listen to Country
The Creative Philosophy
Most digital features use text as primary and images as secondary. Kawal disrupts this hierarchy.
Video requires performance. Audio recording is less intrusive, allowing more intimate, unguarded storytelling in the artist's own home or on Country.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are oral cultures. By prioritising audio, we respect the traditional transmission of knowledge — Songlines are meant to be heard.
The user interface encourages a slower pace. The text is the guide, but the audio is the destination. Close your eyes and listen to the calling out.
The Artists
These are the voices Kawal will capture. Living custodians of song traditions that stretch back millennia — still singing, still teaching, still calling out.
The Format
Each "Episode" is a standalone web feature hosted on the SBS NITV portal. While television captures the spectacle of dance, Kawal captures the spirit of the song.
The primary driver of each feature. High-fidelity recordings that place the audience on Country with the artist.
A rich, journalistic profile of the practitioner. Their history, the origin of their songs, the responsibility of holding those songs, and the current state of their community.
Portraiture and landscapes. Less "action" shots, more stillness and presence. The visual language supports the audio, not the other way around.
Season One
The pilot season focuses on the rich cultural corridor of Far North Queensland and the Gulf Country.
The Host Nation — Pilot Episode
Where the rainforest meets the reef. Home to the Yidindji people, this is the gateway to the Cape and the starting point of our journey. Here, the songs of the high ridges and the deep scrub remind the bustling city that it sits on ancient, sovereign ground.
The Mission Days
An hour east of Gimuy, Yarrabah is a testament to survival. Once an Anglican mission where diverse tribes were brought together, it is now a powerhouse of cultural resilience. The songs here carry the history of displacement, adaptation, and the enduring strength of the Gunggandji and Mandingalbay Yidindji peoples.
The Rainforest People — Kuku Yalanji
Deep in the Wet Tropics, the Kuku Yalanji people are the custodians of the Daintree. Their songs are woven into the bubbling creeks and the dense canopy. This is country where the connection between the Bama (people) and the environment is sung into existence every day.
The Wik Way
Situated on the north-west coast of Cape York, Aurukun is renowned for its fierce cultural pride. The Wik and Wik Way peoples hold complex songlines that govern kinship and law. Here, the vocals are distinct—often intense and rhythmic—reflecting the strong currents of the Archer, Watson, and Ward rivers.
The West Coast
Further south on the Gulf of Carpentaria, Pormpuraaw is the home of the Thaayorre and Mungkan communities. Known for their ghost net art and connection to the saltwater, the songs here tell stories of the crocodile, the barramundi, and the shifting tides of the Gulf.
Place of Many Waters
This community lies on the delta of the Mitchell River. It is a meeting place of the Kokoberra, Yir Yoront, and Kunjen peoples. The songs of Kowanyama are river songs—fluid and powerful—carrying the stories of the wet season floods and the abundance of the dry season.
The East Coast Sandbeach
On the eastern peninsula, surrounded by the Iron Range National Park, lies Lockhart River. This is "Sandbeach" country. The music here is a dynamic blend of ancient chant and contemporary expression, influenced by the Kuuku Ya'u and Umpila peoples' deep relationship with the sea and the trade winds.
The Northern Tip
At the very top of the peninsula, Injinoo is one of the five communities of the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA). It is the spiritual home of the Anggamuthi and Gudang peoples. The songs here are unique, looking north across the straits, bridging the cultures of the Aboriginal mainland and the Torres Strait Islands.
The Gulf Islanders
Isolated in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Lardil, Yangkaal, Kaiadilt, and Gangalidda peoples maintain a vibrant song and dance culture. Their warnayarra (songs) are inextricably linked to the sea, the stars, and the hunting traditions that have sustained them on these islands for millennia.
The Creative Team
Cultural Advisor
Yidindji Elder, Gimuy
A senior lawman and keeper of Yidindji song traditions. Bumi provides cultural authority and ensures the project honours the protocols of each community we visit.
Photo: John Janson Moore
Writer / Producer
Wik-speaking man, Cape York
Thoyo brings deep connections to Country and language. His leadership ensures Kawal is built on cultural safety and authentic First Nations perspective, with direct relationships to the communities profiled.
Photo: John Janson Moore
Production Methodology
To ensure cultural safety and intimacy, the production footprint will be minimal.
2 people maximum per trip:
Professional field recording:
Cultural safety embedded:
Pilot production schedule:
Strategic Alignment
This project fulfils the mandate to produce content that informs, educates, and entertains while preserving culture. Kawal documents living cultural practice, not museum artefacts.
Moves beyond standard "Catch-up TV" content, creating "sticky" web content that keeps users on the SBS site for longer periods. High engagement time, low production cost.
These profiles will serve as a permanent archive of living Song Men and Women, valuable for schools, universities, and language revitalisation programs.
Season One focuses on Far North Queensland and the Gulf. The format is designed to expand nationally — every region of Australia has Song Men and Song Women calling out.
Executive Summary
Kawal is an intimate online series profiling the Song Men and Song Women of this continent. While television captures the spectacle of dance, Kawal seeks to capture the spirit of the song. This series is an audio-led digital experience — high-quality long-read features accompanied by world-class photography, but the primary driver is sound.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are oral cultures. By prioritising audio, we respect the traditional transmission of knowledge — Songlines are meant to be heard, not just read about. The format offers SBS NITV a genuinely innovative digital product that moves beyond catch-up TV into immersive, "sticky" web content.
Get in Touch
Interested in supporting Kawal or learning more about the project? We'd love to hear from you.