Presented by Jessie Lloyd, Mission Songs Project is performed as a quartet with a range of Indigenous performers from around Australia. Mission Songs Project is an initiative to revive contemporary Australian Indigenous songs from 1900 to 1999, focusing on the Christian missions, state run settlements and native camps where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were relocated.

Searching for the family songs that were sung around the kitchen table, Jessie Lloyd explores the day to day life on the missions, settlements and reserves through music. From cultural identity to love and loss, these rare songs consist of almost forgotten stories that can now shed light into the history of our Indigenous elders, families and communities.

Performed as a vocal quartet, Jessie presents a rare performance style found only in Indigenous communities; such as family gatherings, social events or yarns over a cuppa. Story-telling, a major component of the performance, gives historical context and personal experiences into the tunes sung from the missions era, making the show warm, humorous and heartfelt.

This performance will be accompanied by special guests Andean folk band Inka Marka performing sections of the Misa Criolla.