BIG BOLD and FULL OF SPIRIT
Spirit Festival opening night Success

The Spirit Festival South Australia's premier Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Cultural Festival kicked off last night with Big Bold and Sexy Diva Casey Donovan headlining. Queensland funk reggae outfit ZENNITH pulled the crowds in off the street joining the dancers who defied the early evening heat dancing to local band Kineman Karma.  The hot barmy night was no problem in the outdoor setting as Casey with that amazing voice sang out song after song of great divas to a mixed crowd who had come especially to hear Casey who is undoubtedly a role model for everyone who battles to overcome prejudice of any type.

The FREE Festival continues today with music from sun up to sun down with Glenn Skuthorpe, Eddie Peters, Tony Minniecon and Souled Out, CASM Soul Band and newcomers Beck Gollan and Ellie Lovegrove.
Ethical Arts Market with artists from across the state and the NT Free weaving workshops and for the young fellas illustration workshops with Graphic Novelist Brenton McKenna, a Broome based artist and author and illustrator of Ubbys Underdogs published by Magabala Books, the story of young Aboriginal girl growing up in Broome with her cheeky gang.

The Spirit Festival Dance Ceremony begins at 7:30pm with a smoking ceremony. This is a very special evening of cultural significance as Kaurna dance groups perform a smoking ceremony to welcome all visitors to Palti Yerta (dance ground) in Kaurna country. The evening will feature the angelic voices of the Kaurna Plains (school) Choir singing the Kaurna language. As a gesture of appreciation and a custom that connects Indigenous culture's songlines and trading routes across the nation, a formal exchange of gifts will be performed by the visiting dance groups from the Torres Strait Islands and Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara dancers from Central Australia. This will be a very special evening of dance and song to be hosted by internationally renowned choreographer, the award winning Frances Rings resident choreographer with Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Sunday features a full day of music from Warren Milera, Jimblah, Rough Image, Corey Theatre, Caper, Black Diamond and the Ngarrindjeri Miminar Kykulan Choir with traditional dance hosted by Matt Hein. Closing the festival will be WOMEN OF SOUL starring Emma Donovan with Evie J Willie and Miss Min at 9pm on Sunday.

The Spirit Festival is a FREE family-friendly, drug and alcohol free event. WATERSLIDE FOR THE KIDS

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For more information
Carmel Young
Festival Manager
8224 3232
0411 534 913
carmel@tandanya.com.au

A major event on the Tandanya calendar The Spirit Festival is South Australia's premier Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Culture Festival held in Adelaide's peak festival period in February. This FREE multi-arts cultural event boasts concerts, workshops and forums in a relaxed family friendly drug and alcohol free event. The Festival is held in Mullawirraburka - Rymill Park next door to Tandanya on the corner of Grenfell and East Terrace.

The Festival's workshop program provides unique opportunities to learn weaving styles of the Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Anangu people using a range of fibres. In 2011 the Spirit Festival will host the Tjanpi Desert Weavers Collective famous for their large scale fibres. A range of weaving styles makes these workshops suitable for all ages.

Author of children's books Ubby's Underdogs Brenton McKenna is a young Indigenous artist and writer from Broome. Brenton will guide workshop attendees in creating their own characters. Suitable for ages from 4 - 17 materials provided. Brenton will also be appearing in the Spirit Festival writers' forum.

Saturday 1pm and Sunday 1:30pm

Save the Children's Playscheme culturally appropriate safe and friendly for children 0 - 5 years old

Face painting - free face painting available Saturday and Sunday

Story-telling and silk painting: Pilawuk White tells the creation story about ‘Mic Mic-Water Rat' from children can then paint this story on silk to take home with them. Materials provided. Very popular 3- 15 year olds. Saturday at 1pm

Spirit Dance Ceremony Join us Saturday evening from 7:30pm for a very special night of traditional and contemporary dance. To be hosted by Frances Rings (Bangarra) and featuring over 60 dancers from the APY lands, the Torres Strait, the Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri Nations this will be a night to remember in the heart of the city. Bring a blanket!

Mullawirraburka - Rymill Park next door to Tandanya on the corner of Grenfell and East Terrace.

24 - 26 February 2012

The Visual Arts Fair is a unique market place where providing an opportunity to view and purchase beautiful works directly from the artist! The Fair has been a constant in the Festival and is very popular with those that like to learn about the work from the artists themselves. All profits from the sale of the works goes directly to the artists. You'll find works from established and emerging artists that chart the future of this vibrant and evolving art scene.

Some of the artists featured are:

Peter Sharrock - Eastern Arrernte descent ‘The artwork itself is also in response to the Australian Landscape. Working with the idea of relationships between the landscapes we live in and the people we share it with Peter creates beautiful sculptures and paintings and is known for his ‘honeycomb' technique. Burthurmurr Christopher Crebbin Descendant of the Ganggalilda (FNQ) his recent exhibition at Tandanya was a sell out show! His work is rich with colour texture while experimenting with light and shade. Artists of Ampilatwatja located in the eastern Desert North of Utopia it is the cultural heartland of the Alywarr nation. The art of Ampilatwatja is strikingly different from that of other Indigenous painting with a much broader colour spectrum and finely dotted landscapes depicting each artist's own particular country or place they have custodianship over. Ananguku Art Stall features works for sale from art centres across the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yunkunytjatjara Lands in South Australia. Works for sale are featured from the Our Mob exhibition a state-wide celebration of South Australian Indigenous art. Tjanpi Desert Weavers of the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yunkunytjatjara Women's Council, an organisation supporting Aboriginal women living in remote communities in the tri-state region of WA, NT, SA. Adding a contemporary spin to the traditional, women now create baskets, vessels and an astonishing array of vibrant sculptures using Tjnapi (meaning dry grass).

EFTPOS available

Full program available at http://www.spiritfestival.com

24th -26th February Mullawirraburka - park next to Tandanya

Tandanya is delighted to be presenting the fourth Spirit Festival on 24th -26th February in Mullawirraburka, the park on East Terrace next to Tandanya. The foremost South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Cultural Festival will open in style with a free concert on the opening night of the Adelaide Fringe Festivities at 7.30pm on Friday 24th February.

The headline acts will include Casey Donovan, Kineman Karma and Zennith, hosted by Indigenous comedian Kevin Kropinyeri, and this kicks off a fantastic weekend of music, dance, workshops and forums for all the family. Throughout Saturday and Sunday from 11am there is a wide ranging music program

From 7.30pm on Saturday evening the Spirit Dance Ceremony begins on the Pati Yerta dance ground with a program of traditional Inma and contemporary dance with over 60 dancers, hosted by award winning choreographer of Bangarra Dance, Frances Rings. There is an opportunity to hear the Kaurna Plains Choir sing in the original language of the Adelaide Plains, a specially commissioned musical work for Yidaki (didgeridoo) and a formal exchange of gifts ceremony between dancers from the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara people of Central Australia with visiting groups from the Torres Strait Islands.

The Spirit Festival partners David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research - Uni SA to present an exciting writers' forum with a number of launches including Southerly Publications Indigenous writers edition and two publications from the renowned Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Also on the bill is graphic novelist Brenton McKenna who will be giving free illustration workshops over the two days.

The music continues through Sunday with a closing concert at 9pm featuring Women of Soul starring Emma Donovan with Evie J Willie and Miss Min as the pay tribute to the Mowtown greats.

Throughout the weekend there are free workshops for adults and children and a Visual Arts Market which will give people the opportunity to talk directly with Indigenous Artists and buy work from them.

The Spirit Festival is a FREE family friendly drug and alcohol free event.