Australia's only First Nations-led arts festival, Victoria's YIRRAMBOI Festival has joined forces with Tasmania's Dark Mofo festival in a joint partnership to support first Nations artists.
The Kin partnership will see the two festivals combine to support the development of four new works produced by First Nations artists which will be premiered at next year's YIRRAMBOI Festival and Dark Mofo events.
A first for both festivals, kin highlights the cross cultural connections and kinship between Victoria's Koorie and Tasmania's Palawa people by supporting the collaboration of eight First Nations artists from both nations in developing works, building relationships and exchanging knowledge.
YIRRAMBOI co-leads, Sherene Stewart and J-Maine Beezley said the kin collaboration developed after the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way YIRRAMBOI Festival supported Indigenous artists.
"COVID-19 lockdowns gave YIRRAMBOI the opportunity to shift our International Collaborations program towards local artists to platform and spotlight the rich history and kinship between First Nations Victorian and Tasmanian artists," they said.
YIRRAMBOI Festival Co-Leads: J-Maine Beezley and Sherene Stewart. Image: YIRRAMBOI.
Ms Stewart and Mr Beezley said the kin collaboration with Dark Mofo, arguably Tasmania's largest annual cultural event will provide an opportunity to promote Indigenous stories and artists to a broader domestic audience.
"We seek to continuously support First Nations stories on stage and through kin, we extend their life beyond YIRRAMBOI to even more audiences," they said.
Cultural oversight and support will be offered to participating artists by members of a core working group.
They include Nathan Maynard (Palawa), Caleb Nicholls-Mansell (Palawa), Sherene Stewart (Taungurung), Rosie Kalina (Wemba Wemba) and a Koorie Elder who is yet to be announced.
Production support will also be provided by J-Maine Beezley (Wakka Wakka) and Dylan Hoskins (Gumbaynggir/Dunghutti).
Mr. Nichols-Mansell and Mr Hoskings said the profile of the festivals' joint venture would offer participating artists access to a full suite of support networks to bring their ideas to fruition, whilst also calling for more First Nations-led productions within the arts sector.
DarkLab cultural advisor Caleb Nichols-Mansell (left) and music programmer and producer Dylan Hoskins will be heavily involved in the Kin collaboration. Image: NME.
"This partnership provides an exciting opportunity for First Nations artists to develop and premiere work as part of two of Australia's leading festivals," they said.
"In addition to this, community artists have access to funding, industry partners, stakeholders and production support to fully realise their concept.
"The coming together of these two festivals is a strong statement about the need for more First Nations-led and authentic relationships between First Nations artists and the broader arts sector."
Melboune-based First Nations artists will be curated by YIRRAMBOI Festival, with expressions of interests from Tasmanian-based artists currently been accepted on the YIRRAMBOI website.
YIRRAMBOI Festival is being held Melbourne in May, 2023 with Hobart's Dark Mofo festival beginning in June.
