CHOGM YOUTH FORUM DELEGATES VISIT KIDOGO!!
CHOGM YOUTH FORUM DELEGATES ABORIGINAL CULTURAL EVENT
Kidogo Arthouse, Bather’s Beach, Fremantle
Date: Wednesday 26th October 2011 (1pm – 7pm)
Please click here for a link to the video of the CHOGM Youth Forum delegates day at Kidogo Arthouse.
The CHOGM Youth Forum (CYF) delegates Aboriginal Cultural Event held last Wednesday at Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle was an amazing success.
The day began with delegates being met at The Esplanade Hotel and being escorted to Kidogo Arthouse by 12 indigenous artists .
Ken Hayward welcomed the delegates in Nyoongar language and played awesome didgeridoo. Senior Nyoongar artist Rod Collard also gave a welcome. As the didge played the close squawking of real cockatoos could be heard.
After a feast of delicious homemade Anzac biscuits and lamington by Wendy Hayden, the delegates stepped through the hole in the wall into the White Gallery. The wonderful staff of Native Animal Rescue (Malaga) had brought into the gallery baby joeys, an echidna, a ring-tail possum, two red tail black cockatoos, a tawny frogmouth and Harriet the kestrel along with others! Everyone loved handling and learning about the animals.
In our studio overlooking the turquoise waters of Bathers Beach, legendary Nyoongar painter, Lance Chadd Tjyllyungoo, along with Nyoongar artists Wendy Hayden and Grace & Lynette Kelly talked about the historic Carrolup Art Movement and showed the CHOGM delegates how to paint watercolours of the Australian landscape of the South West.
In the Large Gallery another group of CHOGM delegates joined Nyoongar, Yamatji, Wongi and Gija artists to paint three huge canvases collaboratively.
During the afternoon Ken Hayward, highly skilled Nyoongar cultural facilitator gave the delegates an overview of WA Aboriginal culture. Josie Boyle also spoke about her Aboriginal cultural heritage and also recalled Dreamtime stories for the delegates.
This followed with over one and a half hours of astute questions and a serious and open discussions on Aboriginal issues, prospects, leadership and human rights.
Against the setting sun, BBQ chef and indigenous artist, Tim Winmar and his sister Phyllis Winmar tossed crocodile, emu and the finest steak, marinated in bush herb and spices on flashy red BBQs. Our dessert menu of Australian (and very delicious) “sticky date pudding” and “pavlova” went down a treat.
Everyone then gathered outside Kidogo Arthouse to enjoy the sunset, still night air and the spectacular view over the Indian Ocean. The words was out and shortly afterwards more delegates arrived to enjoy the food, fun, discussions and cultural exchange.
The next day many of the delegates re visited Kidogo Arthouse to continue discussions with the artists and paint some more of the large paintings.
They said the cultural event was an extraordinarily important, enlightening and moving experience for them all.
The delegates, very proud of the quality of the three collaborative paintings produced by the Aboriginal artists and CHOGM delegates at Kidogo Arthouse, and the symbolism that this quality outcome was achieved through open discussion and honest collaboration between people of many different cultures, made these decisions:
That the three large paintings be presented, by the CHOGM Youth Forum delegates at the CHOGM CYF Closing Ceremony, on Thursday 27th October 2011:
1) To the Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, London.
2) To CYF member for Sri Lanka (the next CHOGM CYF host country), as a Legacy item to pass from CHOGM host country to host country - on into the future
3) To Federal Member for Fremantle, Melissa Parkes to take to Parliament House.
At the closing ceremony, Kidogo Art Institute CEO, Joanna Robertson, was very touched to be presented with gift of a framed watercolour painted and signed by all the CYF delegates.
We welcome a continued and long relationship and friendship between the Aboriginal artists at Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle and the amazing CHOGM Youth Forum delegates.