Indigenous Issues: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program
Past events and activities
Deborah Cheetham and Company
[Deborah Cheetham]
Deborah Cheetham and Company performed at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s NAIDOC Week 2009 celebrations. The performance, entitled “Til’ the Black Lady Sings in Company”, formed the centrepiece of DFAT’s evening NAIDOC Week reception co-sponsored by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) and attended by APSC Commissioner Lynelle Briggs. Performed before the diplomatic corps, invited guests and DFAT staff, Ms Cheetham and Company performed excerpts from their still to be released contemporary Indigenous opera Pecan Summer and other opera classics to a rapt audience.
Ms Cheetham, an Indigenous (Yorta Yorta) soprano was awarded a Fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts in 2008 to develop the first Indigenous Australian contemporary opera, Pecan Summer. Ms Cheetham has performed internationally in theatres and concert halls in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and across Australia and is strongly involved with the University of Melbourne’s Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development as their Programs Manager.
NAIDOC Week is 8-15 July, the host city in 2009 was Brisbane and the theme was Honouring our Elders. Nurturing our Youth.
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‘Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son’
‘Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son’ completed the final leg of its international tour, visiting seven cities in North and Latin America. Concluding in Buenos Aires in June 2009, this striking collection of artistic works from the Kubin community of Mua Island, located in the Torres Strait north of Australia's mainland, continued to attract strong audiences and extensive media coverage. More than 2000 visitors saw the exhibition on its first day in Mexico City, with 13,000 visitors seeing the show during its entire run.
In New York, the exhibition was launched at the UN in the margins of the annual United Nations Economic and Social Council meeting. Attended by more than 250 Permanent Representatives, other diplomats and members of the Australian artistic and business communities, the event generated excellent television and print media coverage, drawing attention to the Prime Minister’s National Apology and the Government’s moves towards closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.
NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Observance Committee) Week 2008
As host city for NAIDOC Week 2008 Canberra was the centre of attention and NAIDOC events were strongly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its posts. Domestically, the highlight of the department’s celebrations was the hosting of a reception at which Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu performed before Ministers, the diplomatic corps, staff and invited guests. Internationally, 43 posts celebrated NAIDOC Week with the highlight being a post-supported ‘Linyarn Ngarn’ music event in Dublin. Introduced by Shane Howard, it featured performances by Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Amy Saunders, Bart Willoughby, Dave Arden and Dan Sultan.
NAIDOC Week is 8-15 July and the theme for 2008 was: Advance Australia Fair?
More information on activities and the national focused events...
Listen Up - Music of Black Australia
A compilation of music by Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.