At PICA we recognise that we are situated within the unceded lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation. We pay our respects and offer our gratitude to Elders past and present. We acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the importance of their care and continued connection to culture, community and Country.

Always was, always will be.

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Muriel Hillion Toulcanon

Quick Response Residency

Quick Response Residency

During her Quick Response residency at PICA, Muriel Hillion Toulcanon will develop Maloya: Treasure Lines, a multidisciplinary project exploring Indian Ocean pirate histories, Creole music-dance traditions and contemporary popular culture through performance, sound and storytelling.  

Drawing on the history of Olivier ‘La Buse’ Levasseur and the resistance traditions of Réunion Island’s Maloya music, the residency investigates how stories of treasure, rebellion and freedom travel across oceans and generations. 

Working with collaborators from ensemble Salama and WAAPA graduates, Hillion will experiment with rhythm, movement, voice and spatial composition to develop a participatory talk-performance and workshop framework.  

About the artist

Muriel Hillion Toulcanon is a Réunionese-Australian multidisciplinary artist, researcher and cultural leader pioneering Maloya music and dance in Australia. Based in Perth, she is the founder and artistic director of Salama, an ensemble dedicated to sharing and reimagining the living traditions of Réunion Island through contemporary performance. Maloya was born out of slavery in the seventeenth century, banned until 1981 and is recognised today for its role in cultural resilience and truth-telling.

Muriel completed the first doctoral research on Maloya at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2022, exploring the transmission of this ancestral art form through voice, movement, rhythm and storytelling. Her work connects research, performance and community engagement, strengthening intercultural dialogue.

Her performances have featured at the Perth Festival, Castlemaine State Festival, Festival of Voices Tasmania, Dancehouse Melbourne and the Fremantle Biennale. She is the recipient of the Minderoo Artist Fund 2026 for her project Maloya Treasure Lines, developed in collaboration with Salama. 

Supporters

PICA’s Studio Program is supported by PICA’s Art Ambassadors.