Ngununggula have proudly announced their second annual Midwinter Festival offering high-quality art experiences, live music and more.
Located within Retford Park, a property of the National Trust (NSW), Ngununggula is a new Regional Gallery in the Southern Highlands, NSW, led by an evolving team. Ngununggula means 'belonging' in the traditional language of the Gundungurra People.
Being Southern Highlands' first regional art gallery, Ngununggula has received funding from the NSW government's Regional Events Acceleration Fund for their highly anticipated, second annual Midwinter Festival, spanning three days and nights from 23 - 25 June 2023.
Held on Gundungurra land, the Midwinter Festival will transform the gallery and its grounds with a program of art, music, food and wine, including a choreographed drone light show developed in partnership with the Fremantle Biennale that honors ancestral stories of the traditional owners.
Director of Ngununggula Megan Monte notes that the "funding of $162,950 for the Midwinter Festival provides critical financial support to celebrate the stories of our region through local voices."
"The rich and diverse arts and cultural fabric of the Southern Highlands lie at the heart of the Midwinter Festival, offering high-quality arts experiences to our national visitors."
"From art installations, live music, and children's activities to local offerings by local makers and producers, we aspire to showcase the best of the region."
For the first time, Ngununggula is partnering with the Fremantle Biennale to deliver 'First Lights - Ngununggula' - a place-responsive, choreographed drone light show that honors and celebrates the ancestral stories of the late Aunty Velma Mulachy OAM, a Gundungurra Tradition Owner.
Returning to the Midwinter Festival is Burning Man, a large-scale sculptural installation by celebrated Australian artist Ben Quilty and local collaborators.
The Midwinter Festival strongly supports the local offerings of the Southern Highlands and supports the regions desire to boost economic and social recovery by showcasing the best of the regions food and wine, live music and activities for families, enhancing the visitor experience.
