NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each year to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This year, we are delighted to welcome Barry McGuire, Sharyn Egan and Ron Bradfield for the presentation of Balga Waangkiny and Yarning Together.
Yarning Together: A Community Celebration of Balga Waangkiny
10am–4.30pm, Sunday 8 November | FREE
Join us for a community celebration of Sharyn Egan’s participatory project Balga Waangkiny, and a day of Yarning Together.
Sharyn Egan and Ron Bradfield Jnr will be in conversation exploring their affinity with Balga (grass trees) and their important uses as tools and shelter in Noongar culture.
Come and untangle your thoughts, weave your feelings and share ideas about community and connection. Weave a friendship bracelet to take with you as a reminder and celebration of Noongar culture – Always Was, Always Will Be.
NAIDOC Week Guided Tours
Various times, Sunday 8 – Sunday 15 November | FREE
Indigenous and Torres Strait Art is one of Australia's greatest cultural gifts to the world. It is part of the continuum of lived experience, ceremonial practice, and the connection with traditional lands and ancestral beliefs. Indigenous art is strikingly beautiful. But it can also tell of a history of sorrow, dislocation and discrimination.
All public tours during NAIDOC Week will focus on contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from the State Art Collection. These tours will highlight the many wondrous art styles, forms and subjects that continue to inspire and captivate Indigenous artists today.
Deadly Denim | Make Your Own Jacket Workshop
10.30am–1.30pm, Sunday 8 November | $75
Bring along your denim jacket and join the creator/owner of Deadly Denim Rebecca Rickard who will walk you through constructing and sewing together a deadly jacket choosing from a wide selection of these amazing textiles.
Deadly Denim is a business with a social impact, aiming to be as sustainable as possible.
Showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists on upcycled denim. Some fabrics used are from Aboriginal Art Centres in WA and the Northern Territory, and others are individual artists Deadly Denim has collaborated with to create digitally printing designs.