Community and Culture “Vibrant and Alive” at Dream On Festival
16-10-2024
Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre has celebrated their annual Dream On festival supported by Create NSW. The festival aims to bring the wider region together to celebrate Aboriginal culture and local makers, performers, and artists. The festival is an ongoing project of Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre and is held on their grounds outside of their Wadjar Regional Indigenous Gallery.
The festival was a showcase of creativity, with local and regional makers featured in Blak Markets on site featuring fashion, jewellery, artworks, and cosmetics made by talented local and regional mob. Fantastic arts workshops were run all day for attendees, with Posca Art from Jimmy Wags, Clay Animals with Uncle Tony Hart, as well as Tie Dying & weaving with Lilly Clegg.
The event began with a Welcome to Country and smoking & performance by Giingan Yiiliwaay Dancers, followed by live music from exceptionally talented Goori musicians. Gumbaynggirr rock band Jumbaal Dreamin’ performed, with their keyboardist Elder Uncle Martin Gallangary providing the traditional songmanship alongside their powerful rock songs. The festival’s lineup also featured acoustic rock performer Andrew Hegedus.
Delicious food wasn’t hard to come by, with Damper Baking being run by Katie Cowan, as well as native food and bush tukka highlighted. Attendees could cool down with a cup of the very popular Lemon Myrtle Lemonade. Tours were run on the day so that folks could learn about bush medicine and tukka that the local Country provides.
This year attendees were able to use and admire the newly opened amenities block at Wadjar Gallery made possible with funds from the Regional Tourism Activation Fund and Clubgrants, featuring an incredible mural from deadly local artist Tori Donnelly which provided a stunning backdrop for the day’s festivities.
Wadjar Regional Gallery’s Creative Director Alison Williams said of the day: “Thanks so much to all our facilitators, market stall-holders, dancers and musicians who have made our community and culture so vibrant and alive”. The event is testimony to the thriving heartbeat of culture and community that Yarrawarra provides, and ACHAA congratulates them on another year of success.
