*Osc Bob Performing Pow Wow- Image By Jarrahmindi Bill*

The 9th Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival opened 5.00pm Friday 19th at Weir Park with a fish feast of barramundi and salad provided by the South Brewarrina Butchers. As well, for the first time for the festival sixty locally caught yellowbelly by Karl Knight, were prepared by Tony Nargy, Bryan and Marcus Barker, and cooked up by Retta Ferguson supported by a team of volunteers. As well as a big curry and damper by the Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. Both going home with no food left over.

Yangkay Cultural Connection - *Image By Jarrahmindi Bill*

Friday Opening Ceremony & Corroboree: gather at the world's oldest human-made structure & longest continual meeting place

Over 800 people gathered to be welcomed by local Ngemba Elder, Auntie Dianne Hardy. As the sun set the Corroboree Ceremony was opened by Lacey Boney and Maddy Hodgetts of Ngungilanha leading over 20 local dancers after their week long Ngemba dance residency with Norman Shillingsworth and David Clarke at the Brewarrina Boat Ramp. Yangkay Cultural Connection followed by kicking up the dust. Lacey Boney of Ngungilanha said “As we danced, the river roared louder over the weir wall as the rain fell, it was so magical.”

The community watched through the rain as Mura Biri Gururu and Ngambaa Dhalaay. The night ended in a special first time Pow-Wow in Western NSW from First Peoples performers from Turtle Island (Canada) from the performing arts company Aanmitaagzi (he/she speaks). Aanmitaagzi and Moogahlin have been collaborating on Serpent Water Stories since 2019.

All of the dance groups joined together in a shake a leg/pow-wow dance that got dozens of community members up and on their feet. Digital Producer of Moogahlin Performing Arts Stephen Wilson Barker said “ You know it rained the whole corroboree almost, all the way until we packed the equipment it suddenly stopped, that was an awesome cleansing as the land and community needed it.”

Mura Biri Gururu aboriginal dancers- *Image By Jarrahmindi Bill*

Stall Alley Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Saturday: Family & Cultural Day

Saturday’s, Family & Culture Day kicked off at 1pm with a market of twenty two food, arts, wares, and community stalls. Including Orana Haven Rehabilitation Centre clients with a stall of First Peoples tools made at Gongolgon, as well as a stall selling Dhinewan (Emu) and Bundah (Kangaroo).

The day's activities included a demonstration from local children and youth. Showcasing their skills learnt from the school holiday program ‘Cirque De Bre’ led by Casus Creations. Aunty Bronwyn Spearim from Ngambaa Dhalaay shared Gomeroi dance and song workshops.

Group fashion parade - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

DandalooSu (Su Lousick) Wiradjuri fashion designer curated the Fashion Parade to promote regional fashion designers from NSW that included designs from Yapa Mali, Bronwyn Spearim, Rista Ulera and Petina Smith, utilising 6 local models.

Osc Bob Serpent Stories Live Performance - *Image By Stephen Wilson Barker*

Led by Moogahlin and Aanmitaagzi, artists from Nipissing First Nations Rez and Murrawarri Nation, spent ten days together on Country for this residency in the Ledknapper Nature Reserve.

The group of 14 artists explored and exchanged stories of Mundaguddah from Murrawarri Elder Aunty Josephine Byno and Serpent People from Aanmitaagzi. Together these artists visited significant Murrawarri sites, for example Gerara Springs that inspired them to create art pieces and weave their stories for performance.

At sunset on Saturday afternoon at Baiame's Ngunnhu Festival community were invited down to the Ngunnhu to witness the Serpent Water Stories performance. A multi-disciplinary work that included visual arts, movement, narration, recorded and live music. Aunty Vera Byno (Murrawarri), Belinda Boney (Murrawarri) and Sidd Bob (Salish Territory) narrated wiith live music created by Binaeshee-Quae (Nipissing), her mother Bonnie Couchie (Nipissing) and pre-recorded music by Kelsey Barker (Murrawarri) who also performed in the movement alongside her daughter Mayii, Liza-Mare Syron (Biripay), Meg Paulin (Mi’ki) and Sherry Guppy (Nipissing) that was led by Penny Couchie (Nipissing) and Lily Shearer (Murrawarri).

Serpent Stories Live Performance - *Image By Stephen Wilson Barker*

Koori Gras Divas 2024. Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

Saturday: Koori Gras Divas in the kountry

Baiame's Ngunnhu Festival 2024 was capped off this year with Koori Gras Divas packing out the Brewarrina community hall for a glitzy first time drag show in Brewarrina. The night was MC'd by Moogahlin's Co-Founder & Senior Artistic Associate, Liza-mare Syron who has produced Koori Gras since 2017 in Redfern.

MC Liza-mare Syron - Koori Gras Divas 2024. Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

The spectacular line-up included First Peoples drag performers Nova Gina, Bran Nue Boi, Destiny Haz Arrived, Bee Dazzled Shanks and Bourke's own Petina Petina Petina! It was a sparkly night celebrating our First People's Rainbow mob.

With a dance interval that had the community up doing the Nutbush, a cultural first experience for the seven members of the Aanmitaagzi who joined in.Thomas Conroy hosted a canteen selling sausage sangas, currys with Johnny Cakes and cold soft-drinks. Raising money for local sports superstar Taloulah Moore.

The Festivals Future

Looking forward to the 10th year, Lily Shearer, Artistic Director & Co-founder of Moogahlin Performing Arts said, “Since 2014, following yaans with community Elders and First Peoples led organisations the festival has certainly grown, organically. Together with local artists and communities from the Brewarrina Shire and indeed the region, this social impact cultural arts and community development project has enabled a sense of pride and ownership of this significant site and annual event.

Community of Brewarrina at the Festival - Image by Stephen Wilson Barker

We can not do this alone and I personally would love to thank my home community of Brewarrina! The Brewarrina Shire, the Local Aboriginal Lands Council, the Aboriginal Community Family Centre and Orana Haven. It’s been so vindicating for the work we’ve been doing. We hope more organisations want to join and support the festival as it’s a massive undertaking, especially as it seemingly grows every year.

Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival promotes First Peoples-led social inclusion, artistic, civic and economic participation providing a presiding presence for the First Peoples in the region to strengthen cultural kinship ties. To this, the festival does not sit in this vacuum. This event has broadened an understanding of the significance of Baiame’s Ngunnhu.

We would like to thank the community who have shown up year after year in the rain, floods and the sun and for those who come from all over the world to share in dance, culture, song and food. To all of those who contributed and worked hard to make this festival we are so grateful for your dedication to this community. To all of the artists who performed this weekend, thank you for sharing this space.

A Reflection on Baiame’s Ngunnhu Festival 2024

Friday Opening Ceremony & Corroboree: gather at the world's oldest human-made structure & longest continual meeting place

Saturday: Family & Cultural Day

Saturday: Koori Gras Divas in the kountry

The Festivals Future

Farewell to Liza-Mare Syron

Support Transformation Through Cultural Arts