Sanctuary Within
Sanctuary Within is a powerful, immersive celebration of maloya — the sacred improvised music, dance and ritual form of Réunion Island. Presented over two live performances, including a rare durational performance, this work blends rhythm, chant, electronic music and movement into a collective ceremony of release, remembrance, and resistance.
Maloya — once banned for its ties to enslaved peoples — returns here in force. A heartbeat. A reclamation. A sanctuary.
At the heart of this project is a first-time collaboration led by Réunionese artistic director, researcher and multidisciplinary artist Dr Muriel Hillion Toulcanon, her band Salama and special guest, Kaloune. A gifted songwriter, singer, and dancer, Muriel brings a deep-rooted knowledge of maloya — both as a cultural tradition and as a living, evolving practice. Her movement work and creative direction are grounded in rhythm and storytelling giving the piece its emotional depth and magnetic energy. Poet and musician Kaloune brings her vibrant, contemporary voice, tracing Afro-descendant histories and ancestral memory. Together with fifteen dancers and musicians, they forge a new space for maloya — where music is both alive, healing and resistance.
The project unfolds across two distinct live events: a family-friendly performance at Goolugatup, and a 6-hour immersive experience, inspired by the form of servis kabaré, — a gathering of dance, food and music at the Manjaree Precinct. Both invite you to gather, witness and move to the heartbeat of something ancient, urgent and alive.
Date, Time and Location
Lowerlands, Goolugatup Heathcote Reserve
Sat 15 Nov, 7pm
*Presented alongside Vespers
Manjaree (Bathers Beach) Precinct
Fri 21 Nov, 6pm to midnight
Entry
Free
Audio-described performance | sat 15 nov, 7pm
Image Credit
PHOTO 1: Muriel Hillion by Peter Zuvela; PHOTO 2: Kaloune, Photo by Laurent Gudin; PHOTO 3: Muriel Hillion, Photo by Peter Zuvela; PHOTO 4: Photo by Peter Zuvela; PHOTO 5: Kaloune, Photo by Ismael-Moussadjee
Muriel Hillion, a Réunionese artist and researcher based in Western Australia, explores Creolisation in the Indian Ocean through vibrant music, powerful singing and captivating dance. With a decade of performances, teaching and a doctoral focus on Maloya dance and music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), she created the first Australian Creole musical Island Vibrations in 2022 and the Award-winning Salama Odyssey in 2023. Collaborating with multicultural artists from various backgrounds, Hillion integrates storytelling in English, with visuals, dance, singing in various languages and traditional instruments.
Kaloune is a singer-musician and above all, a poet who has been interested in Afro-descendant memory for around ten years. All her artistic work revolves around the notion of the repair of memories linked to trafficking and slavery, through poetry. The corpus of her repertoire revolves around the following notions: the rehabilitation of the dignity of the human being, the reclamation of her oral culture as heritage, and the anchoring of the Réunionese imagination as an intellectual, philosophical and spiritual foundation specific to the island. Together with her collaborators (through Kinibé) they create new memories and enrich the mythology (Reunionese and global) evoked in the songs of the servis kabaré.
Lowerlands, Goolugatup Heathcote Reserve
58 Duncraig Rd,
Applecross
Manjaree (Bathers Beach) Precinct
Bathers Beach,
Fremantle
LOWERLANDS, GOOLUGATUP: Visit the dedicated Event Page here for more information.
MANJAREE (BATHERS BEACH) PRECINCT, FREMANTLE:
Fri 21 Nov, 6pm – midnight
Duration: 6 hours
Event Information: This event takes place outdoors. The event runs over six hours, and you are welcome to arrive at any time. To fully experience the unfolding of the work, we encourage arriving early.
Food & Drink: A licensed bar will be open during Sanctuary Within. Light snacks, prepared and offered by the artists, will be shared at the beginning of the event free of charge.
Free drinking water will be available on site. We recommend enjoying a meal beforehand. For ideas, see our Plan Your Visit section section for favourite cafés, restaurants and bars nearby.
In the event of inclement weather the show may be delayed or cancelled. Please follow Fremantle Biennale on social media for up to date information.
Facilities: The Bathers Beach Precinct includes outdoor seating area, toilets and a rest area. Please dress for the weather with warm clothing for evenings.
LOWERLANDS, GOOLUGATUP: Visit the dedicated Event Page here for more information.
MANJAREE (BATHERS BEACH) PRECINCT:
Parking:
Round House Car Park
Marine Terrace Car Park
45 Mews Rd Parking
Esplanade Car Park
Public Transport: Bathers Beach is a 10-minute walk from Fremantle Train Station, the final stop on the Fremantle line. Several CAT and local bus routes also stop nearby.
LOWERLANDS, GOOLUGATUP: Visit the dedicated Event Page here for more information.
MANJAREE (BATHERS BEACH) PRECINCT:
The event area is wheelchair accessible with a footpath and grass running through the Precinct. Please note: the dance area for this event will be hosted on the grass area in an outdoor dome. It will likely be crowded. There are rest areas outside of the dome.
Accessible portable toilets will be available on site behind the J Shed and at Arthur Head Public Toilets and Esplanade Park Public Toilets. The nearest ACROD parking can be located South Mole Lighthouse Car Park or Arthur Head Reserve Car Park.
