DISCOVER
THE PRYCE CENTRE STORY
IT’S YOUR STORY
Our Pledge
Every person deserves to live a life where there is hope, care and happiness. They should feel free to develop without judgement, in an environment that is safe and supportive.
Our team at the Pryce Centre, will work hard to provide a place like this so that you can look forward to getting active and learning new skills whilst having lots of fun.
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Pryce Centre for Culture and Arts is where creativity and culture intersect to inspire innovation at a whole new level. Come and be part of our family.
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Eso gar in advance for your support.
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To have a dream, is to have a future.
– Rita Pryce
Ms Rita Pryce
The Founder
A Message from Rita Pryce
If you asked me 10yrs ago whether or not I thought my dreams would come true, I probably would’ve laughed.
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Let me tell you, dreams really DO come true!
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My name is Rita Pryce and I belong to the Kulkalgal and Kawrareg people, as well as the Wagadagam tribe of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands).
I have been in the Performing Arts industry now for over 20yrs. I am based in Cairns but still visit my home in the islands regularly and have maintained connections with my family and the communities there.
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As a young child, I never got asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. So I never thought about it. And living in a remote community on an island without a TV, didn’t allow for our imagination to go much further than the waters edge.
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But being born into a community where our culture is a lifestyle, I was always surrounded by creativity and innovation from a very young age. I owe my life as a dancer and choreographer to my people – the First Peoples, and our beautiful ancient cultures.
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My life experiences, professional skills and global networks are what I’ve combined to ensure that you are guided in the Arts and given opportunities that sometimes seem out of reach...as I know each of you also has a dream. I want to share with you what I’ve learnt along the way, and show you that you too can achieve much more than you imagine.
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Ms Rita Pryce
Artistic Director | CEO
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About the Pryce Centre
The Pryce Centre is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned and operated social enterprise that offers training and development to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in performing arts, with a focus on Cultural technique and other dance styles.
The Pryce Centre is led by Rita Pryce, an internationally recognised dancer/choreographer and Cultural ambassador. Rita is a Kulkalgal and Kawrareg woman who grew up in the Torres Strait before travelling to engage in formal performing arts training, performance, and advocacy. Rita has an outstanding reputation as a leader, initiator, thinker, and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
OUR PURPOSE is to create lasting social impact for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in all we do.
OUR VISION is to deliver training and development opportunities to young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on-Country and in-Community. We use these young people’s strong existing connection to Culture as a foundation to build the confidence and competence of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts students whilst respecting Cultural protocols and transgenerational knowledge. We support the continuum of Cultural knowledge with technical and practical training in the performing arts to define a place in the performing arts ecosystem for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in contemporary Australia.
OUR MISSION is to develop Culturally confident, technically and practically competent young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing artists and lifelong Cultural performing arts practitioners.
PRYCE CULTURAL SCHOOL OF ARTS: Our primary program is Pryce Cultural School of Arts. The Pryce Centre is internationally recognised for our unique approach to embedding social practices and Cultural traditions into creative workplaces and puts Cultural protocol and authenticity at the heart of all of our operations, programs and productions. Pryce Cultural School of Arts creates opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to be truly elevated.
We are all about identifying and engaging local talent and enriching their lives with opportunities that seem out of reach. We strive to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have greater decision-making authority on service delivery and economic development that affects them in their Communities. We facilitate and promote platforms to ensure our stories can be told.
The graduates of the Pryce Cultural School of Arts will be employable, career-ready, and culturally empowered practitioners that are ready to provide meaningful contributions to their own lives, those of their families, and society more broadly. In addition to the dance aspects, the Pryce Centre champions Cultural health and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Persons in any environment.
The technique-based courses are delivered to a high standard and in a manner that is Culturally safe and appropriate. With roots in the Baiwa Dance Company and over two decades of dance and cultural excellence, the Pryce Centre has long been the destination for Cultural dance workshops and skilled performers throughout Cairns and North Queensland.
For Culture & Arts
Rita aged 4, St. Joseph’s Mission on
Keriri/Hammond Is, Torres Strait.
Actor Wesley Snipes sat with us after we performed for him. — with Pauline Scott Terare, Peggy-joy Paiwainmisi, Smilar Sinak, Norina Gibuma, Lesley Cockatoo, Jacob Boehme, Deon Hastie, Cherie Johnson, Ethel Anau and Rodney Graham Turner.
Choreographing our youth company Baiwa Kazil