Boori (Monty) Pryor
On Wednesday 3 September, Boori (Monty) Pryor will be presenting a one hour performance where he will conduct a participatory program of dance, didjeridoo, body-painting, Dreamtime stories and personal stories from Boori's life.
MONTY PRYOR: is a multi-talented performer who has worked in numerous industries including film, television, modelling, sport, music and theatre-in-education. He is also known as an articulate public speaker on Aboriginal issues.
Monty Pryor was born in 1950 in Townsville, North Queensland. His father was from the Birrigubba of the Bowen region and his mother is fromYarrabah (near Cairns), a descendant of the KUNGGANJI.
Monty played Basketball for the Queensland under 18's while studying at Pimlico State High and then went on to play Victorian State championship league for five years. He was the coach for the first National Aboriginal Women's Basketball team.
He modelled professionally for five years for one of Australia's leading agencies and has worked as a disc jockey at nightclubs around Australia. Monty is an accomplished didjeridoo player who has performed solo with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra.
YouTube Clip introducing Monty through images and music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eINSkpn4-4
Monty worked for many years with Joe Geia performing in schools throughout Australia. Since the early nineties Monty has performed internationally at Museums, Theatres and Festivals.
YouTube clip of Monty performing as a School:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dPzAtS0imE
Monty has collaborated with Meme McDonald on five books: Maybe Tomorrow (Penguin 1998), My Girragundji (Allen & Unwin 1998) and The Binna Binna Man (Allen & Unwin 1999), Nunjul The Sun (Allen and Unwin 2002) and Flytrap (Allen & Unwin 2002).
Maybe Tomorrow received a Special Commendation at the 1998 Human Rights Awards and My Girragundji was awarded The Children's Book Council of Australia 1999 Book of The Year Award.
In 2000 The Binna Binna Man received three of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards: Book of the Year, the Ethel Turner Prize and the Ethnic Affairs Commission Award.
In 2011, Shake a Leg a collaboration with Jan Ormerod, won the Prime Minister's Literary Awards for Children's fiction.
YouTube Book trailer for Shake a Leg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFNCJS0qd-c
In 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2013 a stage production of My Girragundji toured throughout most Australian states.
Monty was the Children's Laureate of Australia, sharing this title with Alison Lester in 2012 and 2013.
Information found on following website:
http://www.youngaus.com.au/images/aboriginal_education/MONTY2014.pdf
Permission notes are available from CEPS Office.