The Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival

For information regarding the 2012 Melbourne Didgeridoo and Cultural Festival being held on Saturday, 3 March 2012 from 11am to 10pm please visit the festival website – www.didgefestival.com

Saturday 5th March 2011

A big thank you to everyone that came down to Mia Mia Gallery last year for the first Melbourne Didgeridoo Festival. The festival was a huge success with an estimated 2000 attendees joining in on the fun throughout the day.  We hope this years festival to be bigger and better. If you missed last years, we’d love to see you this year for a fantastic lineup on stage and activities for all the family

All of the artists and performers put on a great show with Ganga Giri getting pretty much everyone there to dance and Bruce Rogers captivating the entire audience with his tales and remarkable didgeridoo skills.

For All The Pics Of  The Day Click Here

Mia Mia Gallery, The Didge Circle, The Pines Learning and Manningham City Council are coming together for the first annual Melbourne Didgerid00 Festival. The festival will be a day long celebration and showcase of one of the world’s oldest wind instruments, the didgeridoo. It will be a day of entertainment for the whole family with stalls, workshops, activities and a concert featuring world-class performers and musicians.

The Didge Circle is a group of keen didgeridoo players from all over Australia and the world who have been meeting at Mia Mia Gallery for the last 18 months, sharing and swapping techniques of this iconic instrument. The festival will be a showcase of their last 18 months of workshops where the custodians of the didgeridoo frequently tutor all whom express interest in learning from the very best of the best.

The festival will be a celebration that will recognise, acknowledge and respect the Wurundjeri people as the traditional owners of the land on which the festival is being held. It will also recognise, acknowledge and respect the Yolngu people of NE Arnhem Land as the traditional owners and custodians of the didgeridoo.

PERMISSION GIVEN FOR DIDGERIDOO FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE AT MIA MIA GALLERY BY  TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF THE LAND AND TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF YIDAKI

(Pic Below)  Before the event this year, Colin  McKinnon took a rare opportunity to fly to Sydney and seek permission and endorsement for this years festival,  he also recieved a Healing  massage from Djarlu one of the custodians of the  Yidaki from N.E. Arnham Land.

(pic below) Colin accepting Djarlu’s invitation to come up to   N.E. Arnham Land to cut and make his own Yidaki.

Bruce Rogers, Colin McKinnon, with Djalu

Mark Atkins will be apearing for the 3rd time at the Melbourne Didgeridoo and Cultural Festival. He is also makes special apearances at the monthly Didge Circle meetings, held at Mia Mia Gallery.

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Festival Programme

The event will run from midday to 8:30pm at Mia Mia Gallery located in Westerfolds Park, Templestowe.

Ganga Giri

Ganga Giri is an unparalleled didgeridoo virtuoso and percussionist who has gained the respect of Aboriginal didgeridu players for his unique approach to didgeridoo playing. The Ganga Giri show blends an array of tribal percussion that includes Ganga’s unique percussive-style didjeridoo playing, congas, djembe, bougarabou, Nigerian talking drum, mbira and more. Percussive multi-layered world music at its best combined with authentic Indigenous dancers and tribal singing.     Ganga Giri’s music has been widely & wildly appreciated by music lovers in many countries across the globe including Australia, Japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands and New Zealand, igniting audiences in clubs, world music festivals and outdoor dance events. Ganga has collaborated with many famous artists including Peter Gabriel and Shuba Magdal. He has also contributed music to the Australian feature films Yolngu Boy and Rabbit Proof.

Bruce Rogers is a didgeridoo maker, performer and teacher. He is regarded as one of the best in Australia. Bruce began playing didgeridoo in 1985 and has performed throughout Australia, including Melbourne’s National Theatre and the Sydney Opera House. He has also made numerous tours of Europe, performing in concert and conducting workshops.

Bruce began teaching Didgeridoo in 1990; known for his concise and entertaining method, he has been a featured presenter at many music festivals. His performance work covers a broad range of styles, including folk, ambient, pop, jazz, classical, and world music. Bruce’s aim is to bridge the gap between past and present, by promoting the Didgeridoo as an instrument for all ages, cultures and people.

www.didgesbybruce.com.au

One Fire Dance Troupe For Bookings Contact John Tye on 0432707283

One Fire Dance Troupe was formed as part of the Mia Mia Gallery in 1994. As a vehicle name, One Fire was the name given so that all dancers could come together as one, creating that magic, that One Fire. The dance company and name was given to Jeff and John Tye as a gesture to recognise their commitment to culture and the Mia Mia Gallery.

One Fire Dance Troupe has performed nationally and internationally. They have performed welcoming ceremonies with the Wurundjeri people of Melbourne and have performed at a number of notable events including the Moomba Festival (City of Melbourne), the President’s Cup Golfing Tournament and the AFL Grand Final just to name a few.

The Tye boys on stage at the Melbourne Didgeridoo & Cultural Festival at Mia Mia Gallery

The Jindi Worabak Dance Troupe For Bookings cal Bill Nicholson on 0408670817

Festival Directors Colin McKinnon & Peter Matic with the Jidi Worabak Dancers

Manningham Mayor Geoff Gough, Auntie Doreen Gavey Wandin with the Jindi Worabak Dancers

Manninghams Arts & Cultural Developement Officer and Festival comitee member Eli Pachacz

Aunty Doreen Garvey with Manningham Mayor Geoff Gough

Aunty Doreen Garvey Wandin on stage with the Jindi Worabak Dancers

Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie

A regular feature at Mia Mia, Gnarnayarrahe is a born entertainer. Whether he is performing traditional and original songs, telling stories and using his didgeridoo for sound effects or doing a few Elvis covers with his trusty acoustic guitar it is not often that Gnarnayarrahe isn’t surrounded by smiles.

Getting Here

Mia Mia Gallery is located in Westerfolds Park, Templestowe.

If you are driving from the city, take the Eastern Freeway. Exit at Doncaster Road. Turn left onto Manningham Road followed by a right onto Williamson Road. Follow the signs to Westerfolds Park & Mia Mia Gallery. Please click here and use our Google Maps widget to find directions from anywhere!

There is ample parking inside Westerfolds Park. On the day there will be clear signage as well as a free shuttle bus that will routinely take people up the hill to where the gallery is situated.

If you are intending to catch public transport there are a number of buses that will take you to Westerfolds Park:

• The Route 301 bus towards The Pines SC, getting off at stop Williamsons Rd/Porter St
• The Route 293 bus towards Box Hill, getting off at stop Templestowe Village Home/Fitzsimons Lane
• The Route 293 bus towards Greensborough, getting off at stop Parkwood Pl/Fitzsimons Lane
• The Route 281 bus towards Eltham, getting off at stop Parkwood Pl/Fitzsimons Lane

The gallery is a short walk from all of these stops and there will be clear signage on the day guiding you to the festival.

Westerfolds Park

Please click here for a map of Westerfolds Park that can be printed off for your convinience.

If you would like more information about the park as well the heritage of The Manor building which houses Mia Mia Gallery please click here.

SIGN UP NOW TO BECOME A SPONSOR FOR NEXT YEARS FESTIVAL.

Contact Colin on 0414596324

If you have any questions regarding the festival or have any other general enquiries please contact us here.

The Melbourne Didjeridoo Festival is proudly sponsored by Manningham City Council and The Pines Learning. The festival is funded through the Community Development Grant Program.