GARMA FESTIVAL, 7-11 AUGUST 2009

Key Forum: Creative Industries, 8-10 August

more information: read the background notes (20p 350kb PDF)

INTRODUCTION

The 11th Garma Festival – Australia's leading cultural exchange event – will be held from 7-11 August 2009 at Gulkula, North East Arnhem Land, NT.

Garma is a nationally significant, intimate, spectacular celebration of cultural traditions and practices – dance, song, music, and art (including presentations, collaborations, sales) – and the annual venue for a major Key Forum on Indigenous issues.

At Garma 2009, the theme of the Key Forum will be Creative Industries. It will include important and practical discussions on issues and practices surrounding cultural outputs and inputs and commercial opportunities afforded Indigenous Australians through training, development and practice in many forms of Creative Industry, including design, music, graphic art, multimedia, film and photography, performance arts, visual arts, broadcasting and electronic media, new media and professional writing and editing. One of the central issues to be discussed will be the extent and nature of the Creative Industries interface with Indigenous Australians, including cultural and commercial rights, and the place of traditional art.

As well as the Key Forum and integrated academic presentations on language and culture, Key Forum participants also have the opportunity to watch the daily bunggul and music performances, enjoy Garma art exhibitions and projects, and participate in evening and night activities.

Garma is a unique combination of education, entertainment and real cultural interaction, exchange and immersion. It is indeed a privilege to experience Garma, and there are several categories of registration available for visitors.

Furthermore, all attendance fees and other revenues received for Garma go to the operation of the cultural and economic programs – which have real social, cultural and economic outcomes – of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, a not-for-profit Aboriginal organisation with charitable status and with the three primary aims of sharing knowledge and culture; creating economic opportunities for Yolngu; and nurturing, celebrating and presenting cultural traditions and practices.

Garma has twice in recent years been awarded the Northern Territory Government Brolga Award for the best Major Event. It has also won the prestigious Skal International Ecotourism Award (Education program – Media category) and the Yothu Yindi Foundation was runner-up in the inaugural Gnunkai National Indigenous Tourism Award in 2005.

ATTENDANCE CATEGORIES

To attend Garma, you need to complete an online Expression of Interest (EOI) form. This form includes nominating an attendance category from the list below. Read the list carefully so you can select the appropriate category when you are completing your EOI.

Key Forum with 2009 theme of Creative Industries
Indigenous Economic Development Conference
SOLD OUT Indigenous Cultural Tourism – Men or Women SOLD OUT
Yidaki Masterclass  Not available from 2008 to 2012

• Background notes – PDF or Word document (20p)
• Key Forum information

PLEASE NOTE: Garma has limited capacity and the various categories of attendance are regularly sold out long before the Festival commencement date. For the Key Forum, priority is given to applicants with specific or professional qualifications, expertise or interest in the Key Forum theme or who are working, studying, training academically or actively involved in a field relevant to the Key Forum theme. Other programs are filled on a ‘first come first served basis’.

Key Forum
Theme – Creative Industries

Registration is open to participants with specific or professional qualifications, expertise or interest in the theme of the Key Forum. Persons working, studying, training or academically involved are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to attend.

Key Forum registration includes Gove Airport ground transfers and meals. Camping accommodation hire is additional (if your EOI is accepted you will be given camping equipment hire options during your online registration).

Student registration, at a discounted rate, is open to students enrolled in recognised Indigenous studies subjects, courses or programs at colleges or universities. You will need to provide details of your course in the EOI.

Indigenous Economic Development Stream (IEDS)

The IEDS will consist of a series of sessions and presentations on a raft of exciting topics featuring international and local industry and sector experts, business innovators, professionals, Indigenous organisations, and Indigenous knowledge holders.

The style of this stream will be uniquely engaging, presenting a unique opportunity, to be experienced in a uniquely Yolngu setting.

Registration includes permits, Gove Airport ground transfers and meals. Camping accommodation hire is additional (if your EOI is accepted you will be given camping equipment hire options during your online registration).

Indigenous Cultural Tourism SOLD OUT
–Men's Program SOLD OUT
–Women's Program SOLD OUT               

Registration is available to members of the general public to attend Garma through a 5-day special Indigenous Cultural Tourism program with Indigenous and non-Indigenous professional guides.

Following the success of recent years, we have further developed the Indigenous Cultural Tourism program, increasing the direct involvement of Yolngu guides and cultural leaders, and tailoring the Garma programs into a unique Indigenous Cultural Tourism program which delivers superb experiences, specially organised for men and women. But in order to retain the intimate and substantive essence and ambience of the program, we are continuing to strictly limit the number of places available.

The Indigenous Cultural Tourism program is designed to be compatible with Yolngu culture. So those privileged to come to Garma on the program will split for much of the time into tailored separate women’s and men’s groups, with appropriate Yolngu guides and presenters, but come together as one group for such special sessions and other features as a Cultural Induction session; the famous nightly bunggul (dance ceremony); and presentations on language, flora and fauna, and interpretation of dance and song.

Garma provides a unique cultural immersion experience – Yolngu culture on Yolngu terms on Yolngu land. It is an award-winning model for insightful, intimate Indigenous tourism. The unique line-up of entertainment, education and real cultural interaction includes a spectacular celebration of cultural traditions and practices – dance, song, music and art – which is truly authentic. And all proceeds go to the operation of Yothu Yindi Foundation social, cultural and economic programs.

Indigenous Cultural Tourism registration includes permits, Gove Airport ground transfers, meals and camping accommodation.

For NT based Indigenous VET music students.

Each year at Garma, the NT School of Music and Charles Darwin University run VET music training for Northern Territory-based Indigenous musicians and songwriters at the Festival site, Gulkula, culminating in live performances – lunchtime and evening concerts. The training program focuses on improving industry and performance skills and techniques and recording original music and includes training and mentoring by NT School of Music and YYF staff, volunteers, professional musicians and other industry professionals.

For enrolled NT Indigenous VET multimedia students.

Each year at Garma, the Northern Territory Open Education Centre runs VET multimedia training for Northern Territory-based Indigenous students at the Festival site, Gulkula, culminating in a range of industry-based experiences. The training program focuses on improving industry and production skills and includes training and mentoring by YYF staff and volunteers and other industry professionals. This program is a vital element of the work of the Yothu Yindi Foundation’s Indigenous Recording and Multimedia Training Program, providing Yolngu youth with skills enabling them to record and document important cultural traditions and practices, working with elders, in local communities.

Media

For approved professional working media representatives.

Garma enjoys widespread national and international media coverage across a range of themes and is now one of Australia’s highest profile Indigenous, cultural exchange and tourism events, with the Key Forum in particular attracting national news coverage. Media please note: the Foundation has professional photographers recording all aspects of Garma, and photos are available at no cost for publication by media outlets. All media representatives are required to sign the Authority to Record as are all other Garma attendees.

At Garma 2009, we will also be further developing the very successful Garma Miwatj Youth Forum, and the National Indigenous Youth Community Leadership program. The Youth Forum features a vast array of substantive activities, entertainment, performances and presentations.  We will continue to bring together young Indigenous Australians to nurture leadership, work and life-skills – to develop community leaders and assist in sharing and protecting culture and knowledge, in bringing Australians together and in creating economic opportunities and real outcomes. Enquiries garmafest@bigpond.com

Yidaki Masterclass      NOT AVAILABLE 2008-2012                                                                  

At its 2007 annual general meeting, the board of the Yothu Yindi Foundation decided that the Garma Festival's Yidaki Masterclass would be cancelled for five years following the death of the Masterclass co-convener.

This decision was taken after a request from the immediate family and as a matter of respect in accordance with Yolngu cultural tradition. The next Yidaki Masterclass will be at the Garma Festival of 2013.

Djalu Gurruwiwi will continue to teach yidaki but not at the Festival. Any Yidaki Masterclass enquiries will be forwarded to his management.

ACCOMPANIED CHILDREN

While the organisers will do everything in their power to make the site child-friendly, the
responsibility for the care and well-being of children lies entirely with parent/s or guardian/s. Children under 5 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s may attend Garma free of charge.

PLEASE NOTE: Garma does not provide child-minding facilities.

In the Indigenous Cultural Tourism category:

• Children 12-17 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s registered in Indigenous Cultural Tourism may attend at a discounted rate – 66% of the full fee for that category
• Children 5-11 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s registered in Indigenous Cultural Tourism may attend at a discounted rate – 50% of the full fee for that category.
• Children under 5 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s may attend Garma free of charge.
  

In the Key Forum category:

• Children 12-17 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s registered in Key Forum may attend Garma at the discounted Key Forum Student rate.
• Children 5-11 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/ registered in Key Forum may attend Garma at 50% of the discounted Key Forum Student rate.
• Children under 5 years of age accompanied by parent/s or guardian/s may attend Garma free of charge.

THE DISABLED

Garma is held in a remote bush location and does not have facilities for disabled people.

FESTIVAL FEATURES

Evening Bathala Bunggul

Traditional ceremony performed each day of the Festival from 4pm to sunset.
In these very significant, traditional ceremonies, men, women and children perform bungguls (dances), with manikay (song). The bungguls are a spectacular nightly (4 pm to sunset) feature of Garma, with special bungguls and ceremonial exchanges often being presented by combinations of performers from various communities and clan groups.

Expo

At Garma 2009, we will again present the very successful Expo, providing opportunities for organisations to set up information booths addressing the theme and/or local issues.

Lunchtime and nightly concerts

Presented by young Indigenous bands participating in the Indigenous Students’ Contemporary Music Training Program.

Evening presentations

At Garma 2009, we will again present the very successful Platform sessions, providing opportunities for evening presentations focused on the Forum Theme.

Indigenous Film Program

Evening screenings including multimedia students’ documentaries, short films and stills photography.

Yolngu Information Hut

Charles Darwin University provides information about Yolngu culture and Yolngu studies at CDU.

Garma Panel Collaborative Art Project

In a unique collaborative art project, leading Indigenous artists attending Garma are invited to
create a print. Limited edition prints are produced of each work, and a very small number of prints of the Garma Panel are created. Prints and panels are for sale at the on-site exhibition. The exhibition is open to all at Garma.

Gapan Gallery

The Gapan Gallery is a gallery of limited edition prints within a grove of stringy bark trees adjacent to the Garma Festival ground. 2009 will be the eighth year that the gallery has been created. As in previous years, this year’s exhibition will feature the works of many leading Yolngu artists, including Gulumbu Yunupingu editioned at the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre (Yirrkala’s arts centre).

Yirrkala Open Day

On Friday 7 August there will be an Open day at Yirrkala Community Education Centre and the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre at Yirrkala. Garma attendees will have the opportunity to see and purchase magnificent works by local Indigenous printmakers, artists and craftsmen at the famous Art Centre, winner of several export awards in recent years.

Garma Open Day

Between 4pm and 10pm on Sunday 9 August, Nhulunbuy residents are invited to the Garma 2009 Open Day.

MORE INFORMATION

Read the background notes (20p 350kb PDF).

YOTHU YINDI FOUNDATION

Garma is presented by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, a not-for-profit Indigenous organisation, with the specific aims of nurturing and celebrating Yolngu cultural traditions and practices and traditions; sharing knowledge and culture; and developing economic opportunities for Yolngu through education, training, employment and enterprise development.

Through Garma, and other Foundation programs, hundreds of Yolngu have gained training, employment and livelihoods. Garma will continue to be a model for bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, to share knowledge and culture, and foster greater understanding among Australians.

In 2009, we will continue to develop the Garma Key Forum as a nationally significant gathering which shares information on Indigenous health, art and culture, and discusses economic projects and opportunities across Australia, for real and practical outcomes.

more information: read the background notes (20p 350kb PDF)