Sydney plans major new Indigenous festival

Arts organisations in NSW are in the process of organising a ‘flagship’ Indigenous festival in Sydney.

Last week the City of Sydney Council committed to funding $20,000 towards a study for the feasibility of an Indigenous festival in Sydney.

The City’s commitment followed an equal promise of $20,000 from events NSW.

The study will be conducted by a working group of artistic organisations including; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Gardens and Blackfella Films.

The working group will aim to bring together the different indigenous culture and ideas of the each organisation into a Sydney Indigenous festival.

Rachel Perkins from Blackfella films said the social infrastructure for such a festival already exists.

“We have expert indigenous staff for each of the organisations. It’s about combing that expertise together.”

This is the first time such significant artistic and cultural organisations have worked together in this way.

Ms Perkins said they are investigating other festivals to use as a model.

“We are looking at Adelaide festival which has a great village feeling,” she said.

“We want to draw people from NSW, nationally and internationally to a flagship indigenous event”

The latest potential title to emerge for the festival is Corroboree; a word used by Bennelong to the early settlers to explain Aboriginal celebrations.

Ms Perkins said the festival is likely to be located around the Sydney Harbour strip and would “draw on the historical and geographical culture of that area.”

The timeframe for the inaugural festival is potentially 2013 but discussion on this issue is ongoing.

Further details of the study are yet to be released as the organisation is in its infant stage and hasn’t yet concluded its funding or budget.

The news comes just a week after Sydney Festival announced the multimedia event I Am Eora would be one of the centrepieces of the 2012 edition.

The film-music-theatre event will be led by acclaimed director Wesley Enoch.

The event will tell stories of famous Aboriginals in Sydney’s history such as Pemulwuy, Bennelong and Baragaroo.

The Sydney Festival aims to raise $300,000 for the development and staging of the project which would involve 30 acclaimed Aboriginal artists.

Sydney Festival is looking for 60 associate producers to contribute $5000 each.

To take part contact Malcolm Moir on 02 8248 6521 or eora@sydneyfestival.org.au

Bangarra Dance Company’s latest production Belong comes to Sydney July 20.