Eleanor Clapham
Eleanor Clapham is a descendent of the Murrawarri people of Brewarrina NSW. Following the completion of her Performing Arts degree at the University of Wollongong, Eleanor had a highly successful career as an Opera singer in Vietnam. Garnering acclaim as the first non-Vietnamese person to study and perform traditional Vietnamese opera, Eleanor presented two one woman shows at the Opera House in Hanoi.
Following the birth of her children, Eleanor discovered a real passion for creating and performing songs and dances for young children. From this passion “Cheeky Tunes” was born – an interactive performance for preschool aged children that has been presented as both a live performance and an in-class incursion. Eleanor has had a long career in dance but began studying Aboriginal dance styles in 2019 at Mudgin-gal with Rayma Johnston. Eleanor has collaborated with Matthew Doyle, composing and performing songs such as Ngaya Naba (my family).
In 2019 Eleanor took a number of trips back ‘to country’ to connect and learn from the Murrawari people living in Weilemoringle, Brewarrina, Lightning Ridge and Bourke. Through this, she has developed a strong relationship with Weilemoringle PublicSchool at the heart of Murrawari country where she has committed to develop a music program in an effort to revive the language and build a strong sense of identity for Murarwari children.