KARI was a major sponsor of the 2017 Yabun Festival with the partnership an important one for the organisation. This celebration of culture is in line with KARI’s mission to keep culture strong.
Yabun Festival is the largest one day gathering and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in Australia. It is held annually on 26th of January upon the traditional lands of the Gadigal people in Sydney. Established in 2001, Yabun (meaning ‘music to a beat’ in Gadigal language) is a free event that features live music, a bustling stalls market, panel discussions and community forums on Aboriginal issues, children’s activities, and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural performances. Yabun Festival welcomes everyone to join in this one of a kind event which honours the survival of the world’s oldest living culture.*
There was a huge turnout on the day with over 40,000 people descending on Victoria Park in Camperdown, with festivities kicking off at 10am with a smoking ceremony at the Corroboree Ground and continued into the night, officially wrapping up at 7pm. It was fantastic to see such a huge mix of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people gathering to celebrate the day together.
Crowds busied themselves with the endless stalls selling a whole range of items from traditional Aboriginal jewellery to funky clothing emblazoned with Aboriginal art and designs.
Taking a break from the bustle of the stalls, revellers were treated to some incredibly moving and beautiful dances at the Corroboree Ground. A number of Aboriginal dance groups performed throughout the day – check out our Facebook page for the live videos on the day.
There was also plenty to think about for visitors at the Speak Out tent, where high profile Indigenous speakers such as the Hon Linda Burney MP gathered to discuss issues that impact the Aboriginal community.
The Jarjums Zone provided arts and crafts for children and young people, including a workshop run by our partners at the Sydney Story Factory.
In the Elder’s Tent a number of weaving sessions were also facilitated throughout the day.
There were also some fantastic performances by a number of Indigenous artists throughout the day including:
- Kev Carmody
- Rochelle Pitt
- Warren H Williams & Dani Young
- Vic Simms
- Oka
- Philly Terra Firma
- Marlene Cummins
- Loren Ryan
- Lucky Luke
- Salt Lake Band
KARI is proud to sponsor the Yabun Festival and we thank everyone who took the time to visit our stall.
Check out official photos from the day here.
*General information about Yabun sourced from http://yabun.org.au/.
