Phew! The inaugural Garrmalang Festival – a partnership between the Darwin Entertainment Centre and Larrakia Nation – is over, and what a festival! Darwin’s first multi-day Indigenous festival, Larrakia people featured heavily in the event, from the Mills Sisters music to Gary Lang’s new dance production Mokoy, with a surprise visit from Larrakia actor Miranda Tapsell.
Many Larrakia artists filled the venue with their work including painting, sculpture, photography and decoration. There were also outstanding performances from Djuki Mala and Archie Roach.
You can read the Guardian’s review of the Garrmalang Festival event here. We want to say a big thank you to the Darwin Entertainment Centre for believing in this event and investing their time and money into it. We hope this will be the first of many Garrmalang festivals so if you missed it this year make sure you come next year when it will be even bigger and better (if that’s possible!).
P.S. Garrmalang is an old Larrakia word for what is now the CBD area that we think should be better known.