The three-day, cultural celebration Apmerenge-ntyele Festival: From the Land begins this Friday in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, in a gathering of traditional knowledge and practice, innovation, performance and celebration.  

To be held at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, the festival is presented by Children's Ground with support from Desert Knowledge Australia (DKA) and the Northern Territory Government, and will feature a wide range of performances as well as art workshops, panel discussions, cultural performances, kids' activities, market stalls and food.

"We wanted to establish an occasion to celebrate our history, our culture and our experience as First Nations people," Felicity Hayes, Co-Director of Children's Ground Central Australia and Arrernte Elder, educator and recognised Traditional Owner of Mparntwe, said.

Musically, the event will be headlined by Gomeroi artist Kobie Dee, and it will also feature Warnindhilyagwa woman Emily Warramura, First Nations hip-hop supergroup 3% and Mparntwe's own Dem Arrernte Mape, Big J, Alice Kings, DJ Gram and more.

The festival will start on Friday night when DKA will formally open the Artwe-kenhe ilthe (Men's Place) on the grounds of the Desert Knowledge Precinct.

Designed and built by an all-Aboriginal, male workforce, Artwe-kenhe ilthe will serve as a safe place for male workshops to address issues such as domestic violence, men's health, culture, and identity.

Ms Hayes said often there are only negative things being reported about First Nations people.

"[I]t's important to focus on the positive and celebrate the strength of our culture, the strides our people are making in art and academia, and to remind our children, our young ones, that First Nations people are proud and we're achieving amazing things," she said.

"With Apmerenge-ntyele Festival we're creating a space for our people to connect, celebrate, transfer knowledge and strengthen culture during the day, before welcoming the whole community, both First Nations and non-First Nations, to come together in the evenings and celebrate our music, our ideas and our Country."

Entry to the festival is free for First Nations people. Donations are welcome from non-First Nations people.

Apmerenge-ntyele Festival: From the Land is open to the whole community from 5-10pm Friday, and 4-11pm Saturday. Saturday programming is a First Nations only cultural exchange from 10am-4pm.

This is a family-friendly, drug and alcohol-free event.

Apmerenge-ntyele Festival: From the Land takes place this Friday and Saturday at Desert Knowledge Precinct, 475 South, Stuart Hwy, Alice Springs.

Festival tickets and programming can be found online.