Black Swan State Theatre Company of Western Australia acknowledges the Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live.

First Nations People have been telling stories on this country for many thousands of years, and we acknowledge their incredible contribution to the cultural and environmental landscape we reside in.

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The Sound of Broome with Bart Pigram

Written by Black Swan State Theatre Company 17 July 2026 3 min
Raised in Big Spirit Country, which had a sold-out season here in Perth in 2025, is making its journey back home to Broome, this September!
While Raised In Big Spirit Country is brought to audiences by a range of talented artists and creatives, we got the chance to sit down with the Musical Director, Bart Pigram, to get the scoop on the upcoming season. 

Can you let our readers know a little bit about how the music/songs of RIBSC first came to together? 

The songs come from an extremely important social turning point for Broome and the Kimberley region, the 80’s and early 90’s where cultural expression and freedom collided with northern development, land rights movements, and the Native Title policy. As kids in that era, it was music and community that we absorbed the most. These days it’s not quite like that. The music in those songs is an interesting mix of rock, reggae, ska and Kimberley country music. There are also original songs in the production that are our expressions of the current state of affairs, and some beautiful old memories.

Music is such a compelling, and, as artforms go, a very direct way to connect to and tell stories. What do these stories mean to you in 2026? 

I think it’s the best of "true telling" and being able to connect our truth to the audience and leaving them with an empathetic insight to who we are as multicultural people in Broome. These stories are stories we have lived, not read about. It’s not subject matter; it is living matter. That’s why the audience will feel a range of emotions in the show that has the authentic Broome sound that’s developed over decades. 

How has the music evolved across this journey? 

We have tried to remain true to the original sound of when these songs were played in the pubs of Broome right down to the instrumentation. As much as we would like to add this instrument and that instrument, the musicians in the production have the heritage and the sound that we need to tell the story, so we are happy with remaining true to the old sound. 

What is a something you would like audiences to take away from RIBSC 2026? 

I would hope that audiences familiar with the old songs can reminisce and appreciate what those songs gave to the community throughout that era, but for the contemporary part of the production I really want audiences to be able to understand that Broome is not just about sandy beaches, pearls and camels. I want them to be able to connect to our story and have deeper appreciation for the people and culture of Broome. 

Has this musical journey inspired other projects for you? 

Definitely! We have had many lightbulb moments throughout the production, and we’ve parked them for future endeavours. This production highlights our experiences, but we know there is much more to tell, so I suspect moving forward that we will be collaborating with other people with different stories. 

What have you been loving at the moment? 

I love being a part of playing these classic old songs that I have heard all my life, and to be able to place my own song amongst the set list of these legends, or “giants” as Naomi refers to. This is our musical heritage, and I am fully invested in sharing it and paying our respects to those who created it!

"It's not subject matter; it is living matter."
Black Swan State Theatre Company and Pigram Productions, in association with Goolarri Media, will present Raised in Big Spirit Country at Goolarri Amphitheatre from 3 – 5 September.
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