Liverpool catches alight with BlakFire
Liverpool City Council is celebrating the city’s First Peoples community with a weekend of music food and culture in Macquarie Mall.
As part of the Council’s August month of events in the Mall, BlakFire Festival will be dedicated to showcasing our First People’s community front and centre.
Council’s Director of Community and Lifestyle Tina Bono said BlakFire is part of a month-long celebration of the multiculturalism that sets Liverpool apart from the rest of Sydney.
“More than 2,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people reside in Liverpool,” Ms Bono said. “Our city is home to several places of Aboriginal significance.
“The Collingwood Precinct south of the Liverpool CBD is an important traditional meeting place for the Dharawal, Gandangara and Dharug people.
“The Holsworthy area is home to more than 500 significant Aboriginal sites which contain artworks, scarred trees, and artefacts.
“A section of a scarred tree on loan from Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council is also on display at Liverpool Regional Museum within Collingwood Precinct.
“BlakFire is a celebration of this intrinsic part of Australian culture that has shaped our nation.”
From craft makers, music acts and dance collectives, to shared cultural learnings, workshops and collaborative experience, the BlakFire Festival will highlight Sydney’s First Peoples talented community within Liverpool and surrounds.
First Peoples workshops and activities include waving, painting, and Nawi (bark canoe) making.
On the Main stage, there will be three days of entertainment for all ages from youth to elders, with a mix of rising and established artists.
Along the Mall, workshops and stalls will celebrate and educate the wider community about first nations arts, crafts and cultures.
Full details are available at https://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/community/major-events/blakfire
Media Contact: Alan Gale galea@liverpool.nsw.gov.au 0429 087 403
Background
Dates: From 5pm to 10pm, Friday 23rd August, Saturday 24th August, and Sunday 25th August
Location: Macquarie Mall, Macquarie Street, Liverpool.
Features:
- Weaving workshop making space Drop in Weaving Circle
This would be an opportunity for the Liverpool community to learn about the significance of weaving in Indigenous communities.
- Bushtucker demonstration with native ingredients from First Nations caterer.
Learn here about bushtucker, how it serves our First Nations community, and what they can learn and incorporate after the event into their everyday life.
- Creative making workshops and activities for
Amy Creatives will hold rock art and boomerang drop-in workshops. Weaving Workshop with Malima Indigenous Weaving and Education Keep the Fire Burning Painting Workshop
Nawi (bark canoe) making
- Main stage acts
Each night will have a headliner act, with the rest of our stage agenda to be filled with a selection of emerging and local First Nations acts from across all genres.
- First Nations food and business stalls
There is a focus on First Nations craft and artisan businesses including jewellery and art, as well as Australian BBQ offerings to ensure patrons have a range of food offerings.
Select Indigenous stallholders include Meat my Roll, Native Foodways, Drips and Dough, the Native Botanical Brewery, and Walkabout Coffee Clothing Culture.
The full list of events, performers and daily attractions can be found on Liverpool City Council’s website at https://www.liverpool.nsw.gov.au/community/major-events/blakfire
