Garma Festival 2011

This year, the Garma Festival is being held from the 5 – 8 August, 2011 on a remote site in north-east Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

The Festival is run by the Yothu Yindi Foundation and is Australia’s leading cultural exchange event. Participant numbers reach up to 4,000 and the 2011 key theme is Indigenous Education with the title ‘Academic Excellence & Cultural Integrity’.

The Yothu Yindi Foundation was established in 1990 by Elders from five of the Yolngu clans, the Gumatj, Rirratjingu, Djapu, Galpu and Wangurri clans. The mission of the Foundation is for Yolngu and other Indigenous Australians to have the same level of well-being and life opportunities and choices as non-Indigenous Australians.

One of the key objectives of the Yothu Yindi Foundation is to support and further the maintenance, development, teaching and enterprise potential of Yolngu cultural life.

Currently the Foundation is primarily achieving these goals through three major program strategies, which provide or support the maintenance of and sustainable improvement in social, cultural and economic wellbeing:

• The annual Garma Festival of Traditional Culture - Australia’s leading Indigenous cultural exchange event and a national hub for major forums with discussion, policy and action formulation, and bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
• The Wellbeing Program comprises three initiatives:
  - Dilthan Yolngunha -The Healing Place
  - Alcohol and Substance Abuse Education, Rehabilitation and Diversionary Project
  - Suicide Prevention Program
• The Indigenous Recording and Multimedia Training Program

The Foundation is also working with Australian universities to develop the Garma Cultural Studies Institute (GCSI) at the Gulkula site to facilitate a further sharing of traditional Yolngu and contemporary Western knowledge.

Registration for this year’s Garma Festival is currently open. For further information visit the festival website.

Item posted on 12 May 2011.