The Yabun and Cooee Festivals took place on the 26th of January to celebrate the world’s oldest living culture. It was Yabun Festival’s 18th year celebrating on the grounds of Gadigal people in Victoria Park, while the Cooee Festival had its inaugural year at Regatta Park in Western Sydney.
The Yabun festival is the largest one day gathering and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in Australia. The free festival featured live music, a lively stalls market, panel discussions and community forums on Aboriginal issues
KARI had its very own stall to provide information on our services and inform the Indigenous community on how we deliver positive change.
The Jarjum Zone provided many cultural activities for children including arts and crafts workshops, storytelling performed by Aboriginal elders and storybook readings from Aboriginal authors.
The Festival also had its own Corroboree Ground, where Indigenous dance groups from across the country were able to perform their traditional dances. The Corroboree Ground allows groups to share their ancient culture and tell stories in a unique way.
Festival goers were treated to performances from Thelma Plum, Roger Knox, Isaiah, Shakaya and many more inspiring Indigenous artists.
The Cooee Festival was home to a series of performances as well as workshops available for the community to dive into Indigenous culture. Workshops included weaving, didgeridoo, cultural and artefacts workshops, Darug custodian’s language lessons and cultural dance lessons.
KARI also had a marquee set up at the Cooee festival to provide information on our services, as well as some free merchandise including sunglasses, drink bottles and pens.
Both festivals were a huge success and provided a positive way to celebrate Indigenous culture with community.
Thank you to all who visited KARI’s stalls on the day.