GARMA FESTIVAL, 5-9 AUGUST 2005
Key Forum, Indigenous Cultural Livelihoods, 6-8 August

Introduction

The theme of the key forum at Garma 2005 is Indigenous Cultural Livelihoods.

Under the banner of this theme, the Garma 2005 forum will focus on sustainable livelihood opportunities and development based on the culture of the Yolngu: There will be major workshops on the challenges and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods from visual art, performance and music, and tourism while taking account of other public and private sector interests, eg. mining. And the important element of leadership will be integrated into the range of workshops and discussions taking place.

Of course, these key forum topics will be supplemented by the regular and very relevant Garma elements of art and craft sessions; women's workshops; music workshops and a music symposium; a film workshop; yidaki master classes, art presentations (including the pre-eminent Garma Panel project) and the spectacular nightly Bunggul.

The Yothu Yindi Foundation is very pleased to be working with Charles Darwin University, which is co-coordinating this year's Forum, and to now have a partnership with the University in a number of Foundation programs.

Mandawuy Yunupingu, Founder and Deputy Chairman of the Yothu Yindi Foundation, says the Garma 2005 Forum theme will allow the Foundation and the Garma participants to discuss and work on many ways to enhance employment and enterprise development opportunities for Yolngu, and to use the results of those discussions in a practical way, across Australia.

"It is important that we create proper livelihoods, based on our culture, and helping to maintain and share that culture. Not only can these livelihoods be real and sustainable, and help develop our communities and people - they can make good use of, and help celebrate, our culture, rather than erode it. Garma has become a key event for bringing together non-Indigenous and Indigenous people and fostering greater understanding between them, so it has a strong, practical reconciliation element - Garma is a "both ways" learning process.

The 2005 theme is in direct accord with the aims - and results - of the Yothu Yindi Foundation and its Garma Festival: the nurturing and maintenance of Yolngu cultural traditions and practices; the sharing of knowledge and culture; and the development of economic opportunities for Yolngu through education, training, employment and enterprise, personal and community development.

"And Garma itself is, of course, proof you can create authentic, cultural livelihood opportunities. We employ and train more than 130 Yolngu each year at Garma and through other programs, and the event is a model for authentic, insightful indigenous tourism which combines enjoyment and education. It is a festival with a deeper purpose", says Mandawuy Yunupingu.

And we can help nurture learning and leadership skills among Indigenous Australians - especially grass-roots, community leadership. This is needed to help build sustainable livelihoods, Mandawuy said. "We hope Garma will develop over time into a great, national community leadership development opportunity and we are working with government and corporate Australia more and more to make this happen. That sort of partnership and result is what Garma is all about."