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Dharug Voices – Mason Browne

November 10, 2025 10:00 am

Dharug Voices, First Nations

Arts and Cultural Exchange presents the next conversation in our Dharug Voices series.

We sat with Mason Browne — Dharug creative director, costume and stage designer from the Blue Mountains — to explore his artistic journey and design work for Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg.

This remarkable play tells a story of queer love, resilience, and survival during the early stages of invasion. For Mason, designing this work on Gadi Country — the first site of colonisation — brings deep personal and cultural resonance.

🎬 Watch the full conversation now and discover how Mason Browne continues to shape the future of First Nations storytelling in theatre and design.

Raised by a mother who was a costume maker and master craftswoman, Mason’s creative practice was shaped by the hum of a sewing machine and the smell of fabric. His designs now merge storytelling, Country, and community, reminding us that theatre can be a space for healing and radical transformation.
“Theatre is a collaborative and experimental medium. You’re given nothing, and you make something magical. It’s inspiring — it’s addictive.”
Through this conversation, we uncover Mason’s love for magical realism, his reflections on Country’s endurance, and his advice for young artists:
“Throw yourself into it. Don’t wait to be ready. You’re already part of the story.”

An integral aspect of Dharug Voices is its commitment to working with the community. These collaborations help to:
  • Preserve: Ensuring that the stories and artworks we share are genuine reflections of Dharug culture.
  • Empower Artists: Providing artists with the opportunity to reconnect with their heritage, enriching their creative expression.
  • Cultural Exchange: Creating spaces where knowledge can be shared, and cultural understanding can be deepened both within and beyond the Dharug community.
  • Sustain Traditions: By engaging with community elders and knowledge holders, we help sustain and pass on important cultural traditions to future generations.

Dharug Voices is a groundbreaking project dedicated to digitally sharing Dharug stories from the mountains to the sea. By commissioning and supporting the development of new works by First Nations Dharug artists, we aim to preserve and celebrate their unique cultural narratives.
At the core of Dharug Voices is the profound belief that reconnecting with Country is essential for the vitality of First Nations art. This reconnection is not merely a journey across landscapes but a nourishing moment for all involved that invigorates artistic expression through truth-telling. We believe that the journey is often more profound than the destination.

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