Garma Festival
The ancient sound of the Yidaki (didjeridoo) is a call to all people to come together in unity; to gather for the sharing of knowledge and culture; to learn from and listen to one another. Annually the Yidaki (didjeridoo) announces the start of Garma, the largest and most vibrant annual celebration of Yolngu (Aboriginal people of north east Arnhem Land) culture.
Each year in northeast Arnhem Land, the 13 Yolngu clans of the region gather at a beautiful ceremonial site for the annual Garma, Australia’s leading Indigenous cultural gathering.
They are joined by 2500 guests from across Australia, including hundreds of school students, for a breath-taking four-day experience in the country’s remote north.
Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, a not-for-profit Aboriginal corporation with tax deductibility gift recipient status. All Garma registrations and revenues are directed into projects to support the Foundation and the Arnhem region. This year’s event will run from Friday, 4 August until Monday, 7 August 2017 near the township of Gove in northeast Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
Now in its 19th year, Garma has grown to become an important political and cultural event on the Australian calendar, attracting a mix of Aboriginal leaders, philanthropists, academics and policy experts, business leaders and politicians.
The Key Forum, which hosts discussion on a range of contemporary issues relevant to Indigenous Australia, is one of the major drawcards.
But at its heart, Garma is a cultural celebration, a chance to explore the rich traditions of Yolngu culture which have sustained the clans for 50,000 years.
Each afternoon, guests gather to watch the ceremonial bunggul (traditional dance), where the call of the yidaki (didgeridoo) and the rhythm of the clapsticks echo throughout the site, and colourful dance troupes from across the region perform a captivating expression of ancient ritual and knowledge.
The spectacular Gapan Gallery showcases the talents of local artists from a range of regional arts centres, while an array of popular and emerging musical acts steal the show after sundown playing a mix of traditional and contemporary sounds.
During the day, guests can participate in workshops focused on different aspects of Yolngu culture, such as spear-making, jewellery-making, basket weaving and instruction in the Yolngu Matha language.