Holding Space: A conversation on Blak Excellence with Naarah Barnes

Naarah Barnes, a proud Gija woman from the Kimberley in Western Australia, is a 2023 Roberta Sykes alum. With its support, Naarah travelled to London to complete a Master of Music Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music.  

In 2024, Naarah was named Young Australian of the Year for Tasmania and received the NAIDOC Creative Talent Award, all before graduating from the Royal Academy of Music that September. Since then, Naarah has continued to excel, from making her West End debut to returning to Naarm (Melbourne) to premiere The Lucky Country musical. Wherever she goes, Naarah continues to reach new milestones. 

For Naarah, Blak Excellence is not defined by accolades alone, “It means having the courage to hold the space,” she says.  

Since first connecting with Aurora, Naarah has demonstrated her commitment to sharing knowledge, supporting mob and giving back to community. For her, Blak Excellence is also about providing support and guidance for other First Nations people. By challenging herself, she is inspiring the next generation to push for more whilst fighting for systemic change.  

“I always have valued community and I value being someone people can go to with questions. Every time I do something, I’m like, hey, the bar is rising. I’m learning more. I still have lots more to learn… I view my role as pressure, but also a privilege. I love what I do. My mission is to show up so that I can meet people, network, hold space, answer questions, see things from different perspectives, and be in rooms where systemic change can happen. To change the system, you have to understand it.”  

Naarah continues to step into spaces that aren’t historically accessible to mob, not only for her own growth but for the wider community. Even while living in London, she remains grounded in her responsibility to community and how she can show up for them. 

When reflecting on Blak Excellence, Naarah shared that it’s important “to walk into spaces that are not designed for us, and the ones that are, and mix Western ideologies and systems with what we know. I think it’s a really exciting time, right now, because we’re really seeing a lot of mob doing insane things around the world and in our own country. Me as an artist, I know I’m definitely trying to hold as much space as I can.” 

Her understanding of Blak Excellence has deepened as she has taken on bigger challenges, auditioned for major productions, and stepped into unfamiliar spaces.  

“The more I’ve done, the more I’ve raised the bar for myself. I think, if not me, who? Of course I can do this. Of course I can apply for crazy things. Of course I can go to the best [institutions or auditions]. Why can’t I go to the best? Why can’t I be the best? I think moving over to the other side of the world allowed me to fully live as myself.” 

Congratulations Naarah on your remarkable journey so far. 

We can’t wait to see how Naarah continues to hold space, inspire mob, and redefine Blak Excellence on and off the stage.