GIIYONG 2023 - South Coast culture strong

MEDIA RELEASE 21 November 2023

South Coast’s Giiyong Festival a great success, with a diverse lineup of Aboriginal performers and presenters from across the country

Giiyong Festival, the largest multi-arts Aboriginal cultural festival in the Yuin Nation, took place on Saturday 18 November 2023 at Jigamy near Eden, NSW. The event organisers, South East Arts, along with partners Twofold Aboriginal Corporation and Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council have been overwhelmed and elated by the positive feedback being received from across the country.

Giiyong means ‘come to welcome’ in the south coast languages as spoken by Elders. Giiyong Festival celebrates traditional and contemporary Aboriginal Culture and features live music, dance, food, demonstrations and immersive activities.

Almost 2500 people attended the event last Saturday which saw a packed program across three zones, which included performances from Emma Donoavan, Radical Son and J-MILLA, as well as contemporary violin virtuoso Eric Avery. Local performances from up and down the south coast also graced the Aunty Rose Mumbulla-Stewart Stage, MC'd by comedians Sean Choolburra and Steph Tisdell.

Visitors, presenters, performers and volunteers came from all over Australia, with many claiming it to be the best Aboriginal cultural festival they have ever attended. Some came to see particular aspects of Giiyong Festival, such as the speakers or cultural demonstrations, but were drawn in by the extraordinary depth, variety and quality of what was on offer. 

Festival Director, Jazz Williams of South East Arts said, "Giiyong Festival is a crucial event for our region and encourages people to value Aboriginal artists and the rich Cultural history and activity across the Yuin Nation. The privilege of being so warmly welcomed and immersed in Culture is not lost on audiences. Entertainment, education, reconciliation, economic impact - Giiyong provides it all and deserves investment. South East Arts has secured multi-year funding and will produce Giiyong Festival in 2024 and 2025, with continued support from our partners.”

During the festival, the Aunty Beryl Cruse Stage, in the Moneroo Bobberrer Gudu Keeping Place, hosted important conversations and presentations from Ellen van Neerven, Kirli Saunders, Steph Tisdell and Professor Asmi Wood. The most popular discussion on the day was the panel presentation, chaired by Clarence Slockee and featuring Uncle Noel Butler, Kerrie Saunders and Chef Mark Olive, on the topic of food sovereignty. Many of the performers, including Eric Avery and Mudjingaal Yangamba Choir sang in the traditional languages of their people.

In the Aunty Tina Bobbins Ganya, or camp, and in the Bunaan Ring, audiences were packed up to ten deep to witness some of the best traditional dance groups from across the Yuin Nation in NSW. In the evening four dance groups - Duurunu Miru, Gumaara, Gadhu and Djaadjawan - came together for Dhilwaan Yarrkural (Nightfall Dance) - a spectacular and moving performance that sent the dust flying and is being heralded as the emotional highlight of the 2023 event.

Throughout the day, the Ganya also hosted multiple traditional and contemporary cultural demonstrations and presentations including dance and didgeridoo demonstrations, cooking with Chef Mark Olive, weaving with Amanda Reynolds, traditional stone tool making with Shane Herrington, artefacts from the Australian Museum, native grains from Black Duck Foods, Aunty Aileen's Yam Hut and Uncle Pirate's pyrography.

The Festival also featured the special premiere of the Giiyong Gumleaf Band's music video for their 'Giiyong Song', composed by Wayne Thorpe. The Giiyong Gumleaf Band was a unique project developed for the 2022 Giiyong Festival, led by Uncle Ossie Cruse of Eden, and a feature documentary about the band and the history of gumleaf music in Australia is due to be launched in 2024, produced by South East Arts

Giiyong Festival is coordinated and produced by South East Arts, with collaboration and assistance from Twofold Aboriginal Corporation and Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council. Over 70 volunteers come onboard from across the community providing vital support to the small festival team.

Giiyong Festival is presented with the support of the Australian Federal Government through Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program, the NSW Government through Create NSW, Regional NSW and Destination NSW and also the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's Stronger Communities Fund.

Media and image enquiries directly to: Kate Howarth, Ph 0447006913 giiyong@southeastarts.org.au

Images by David Rogers, Angi High and David Gallan