The Sydney Festival

As one of Australia’s most popular cultural festivals, the Sydney Festival is a must see if you are visiting the city in January. The festival was first held in 1977, and has since grown to include performances in music, theatre and dance, and also showcases the visual arts. Over the course of the three week festival, over one million people will attend shows and performances. In addition to such celebrities as Philip Glass and Ian McKellen, the festival showcases native Australian talent and provides an excellent forum for the arts in such a vibrant city.

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The Sydney Festival’s opening night is a huge outdoor party with a wide range of activities occurring in many different venues. Families are important to the festival, and opening night includes a family friendly event just for kids. Family theatre is also showcased throughout the festival with innovative water shows occurring on Darling Harbour. Arrive early to get a good seat. The outdoor movie screenings are also a popular attraction for families.

A vast array of musical styles are represented in performances, and the festival often attracts artists known throughout the world as well as traditional Australian artists. For those who enjoy dance, shows ranging from the traditional to the contemporary are available for very reasonable ticket prices. Innovation is the key to this festival, and this is no more evident than in the visual arts presentations, where technology is fused with old time storytelling to create a wondrous experience for visitors. If you enjoy meeting the artists and discussing what you’ve seen with others, then you’ll want to join in on the free conversations offered at the Mint.

If you plan on visiting the festival, tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or in person. Every box office will release a small number of $25 tickets on the day of the event, however be aware that restrictions are in place of only two tickets per person, and the tickets must be purchased in person at the Tix for Nix box office.


Aboriginal Galleries in New South Wales

New South Wales is home to many wonderful Aboriginal museums and art galleries.  Here are a few that you’ll want to check out while in the area.

With one of the largest collections of Aboriginal art in the country, the Yiribana Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Gallery is a must see when visiting Sydney.  Meaning “this way,” Yiribana’s highlights include seventeen pukumani grave posts, artifacts and birch paintings from Arnhem Land, and works by Australia’s leading Aboriginal artists, both past and present.

Also in Sydney, at Darling Harbour, is the Gavala Aboriginal Gallery, an Aboriginal-owned gallery and store.  Here you can purchase Aboriginal art from across Australia, including paintings, carvings, boomerangs and didgeridoos.  You’ll also find a good selection of books at the store.  Near the Port Stephens area is the Tobwabba Art Gallery and Studio, where twenty-two Aboriginal artists are showcased.  They style here differs greatly from traditional Aboriginal art, as these “contemporary coastal” artists blend modern and traditional images and use rich, vibrant colours.

The Muru Mittigar Aboriginal Cultural Center in western Sydney provides an incredible learning experience.  Although primarily focused on the Darug people, the museum also reflects the diversity of Aboriginal groups across Australia.  Dancers perform at the outdoor amphitheatre, and tour guides demonstrate such activities as playing the didgeridoo and using a boomerang.  The café features traditional Aboriginal bush tucker.

South of Sydney is the Umbarra Cultural Centre where visitors can learn about the Yuin people.  Tours of sacred areas can be taken both by four-wheel-drive and also on a boat cruise on Wallaga Lake.  There are many activities that visitors can participate in, including body painting with ochre, throwing the boomerang, building bark shelters, and listening to local stories.

Finally, if you are in the Pokolbin area, you might wish to visit Biame, based in the beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens.  Although they primarily sell authentic Aboriginal arts and crafts, there are also opportunities to take informative tours of the center and also of the local Wollemi National Park.