Every July, Australians come together to celebrate NAIDOC Week, which honours the history, culture, and accomplishments of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The 2023 NAIDOC Week theme, ''For Our Elders'', is a heartfelt tribute to the Indigenous Elders. They are the ones who hold the cultural knowledge, blaze new trails, nurture, advocate, teach, survive, lead, work hard, and love.

The Melbourne Arts Centre is partnering with First Nations artists and communities to celebrate NAIDOC Week from 2-9 July. The MAC will be hosting a range of events across their venues to honour and celebrate the rich culture, land, and strength of the Indigenous people.

Across the week, the program will include visual arts, music, theatre and the Australian Performing Arts Collection. PAWA Cafe & Bar offers an ever-changing menu of delicious delicacies that include native ingredients.

PAWA Cafe & Bar, Photo by. Mel Serjeant

As the event officially kicks off on Sunday 2 July, the NAIDOC Week Sunday Market. It will feature traders of First Nations background located along St Kilda Road, between Hamer Hall and Artis Centre Melbourne's iconic Spire, followed by, FREE guided tours between 12:00PM and 1:30PM for those wishing to expand their knowledge of First Nations artwork. The NAIDO Week Performing Arts Display tour will feature commissioned Indigenous artworks and items from artists such as Simone Thomson and Illuka Sax-Williams.

To conclude the first day of celebration, outstanding vocalists Emma Donovan, Montaigne, Thandi Phoenix, Thndo and Ursula Yobich will take to the stage in an unforgettable performance of music and memories, honouring the legacy of the global superstar Aretha Franklin in Aretha.

NAIDOC Week Sunday Market: Photo by Mel Serjeant

Moving to the 5-6 July, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), Arts Centre Melbourne and the Archie Roach Foundation in association with Short Black Opera Company and Melbourne International Film Festival will showcase two evenings of powerful song and sub-line storytelling in One Song - The Music Of Archie Roach.

On Friday, 7 July, attendees can expect to see the MSO present ''Wash My Soul in the River's flow'', a cinematic retelling of a legendary concert that first premiered in 2004. The film features footage that combines conversations, rehearsals, and the opening night, along with stunning images of Ruby Hunter's Ngarrindjeri Country in South Australia. The film is a poignant portrait of artists in their prime and a deeply moving story of grief, healing, and the true meaning of ''home''.

Parrawang Lift the Sky, Photo by Mel Serjeant.

Short Black Opera's Parrwang Lifts the sky will have its world premiere on both July 7 and 8. This joyful, family-friendly opera tells the story of Parrwang and the Magpie and is based on an origional story from Wadawurrung Country, as told to the children of the Wathaurong by the late Uncle David Tournier. The opera was created by acclaimed Yorta Yorta/Yuin soprano, composer, and artistic director Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO.

The Hamer Hall's iconic facade will be illuminated once more by a newly commissioned large-scale digital projection titled ''Spirits Of The Land'' between July 7-9. This projection is part of the Electric series and was created in collaboration with Aunty Zeta Thomson, a respected Elder and descendant of the Yorta Yorta and Wurundjeri people, drawing inspiration from family stories, including the Yorta Yorta creation.

Electric Fields X MSO, Photo by Mel Serjeant

To conclude the NAIDOC at Arts Centre Melbourne, Electric Fields will perform on July 8th. The award-winning electronic music duo will return to Hamer Hall for a special encore performance, featuring their own work and traditional imna songs. The music has been arranged especially for this performance by Alex Turley, MSO's 2022 Cybec Young Composer in Residence.