The centre of gravity for the arts in Queensland might just be moving north, with Townsville its epicentre during the North Australian Festival of Arts, from September 26 to October 13.
Launched in 2019 off the back of Townsville’s Commonwealth Games project Festival 2018, the North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA) was a massive success in its first year, spurring Townsville City Council to make the festival a part of the city’s annual events calendar.
Celebrating culture and diversity, NAFA shines a light on Townsville’s creative hub and continues to grow, with more than 250,000 attendees and 4000 artists providing a significant annual economic boon by injecting more than $21 million into the Townsville economy since 2019. In 2022, NAFA won the Best Regional Event category at the Australian Event Awards.
This year’s NAFA features 89 shows, more than 430 performances with 800 artists performing across 15 venues across Townsville. Arts lovers can segue from Brisbane Festival to NAFA without missing a beat.
Major drawcards include Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Under the Stars on September 27 and Trent Dalton’s Love Stories (October 4-11), which moves north after what promises to be a packed-out season at QPAC during Brisbane Festival.
NAFA 2024 guest curator Kyle Page, of Townsville-based Dancenorth Australia – one of the jewels in the crown of the arts in North Queensland – says this year’s event will be the best yet.
“At the heart of every festival is great art and at the heart of great art are the artists themselves,” Page says. “The invitation to support NAFA as guest curator for 2024 has brought with it an incredible opportunity to work with artists and bring incredible performances to audiences in Gurumbilbarra, Townsville.”
One of the big attractions this year is two nights of free music at Jezzine Barracks on September 28 and 29.
The first of these is Looking Forward Looking Back, a concert featuring First Nations artists paying tribute to the late great Slim Dusty. The second night features headliner Xavier Rudd, presented by Queensland Country Bank. Rudd will be joined by Garrwa and Butchulla artist Fred Leone, who recently accompanied Rudd on his European tour. This concert will also feature Cairns artist Djawarray and local Wik artist Kee’ahn.
Looking Forward Looking Back is the result of a year-long project, the brainchild of BullDust Band’s Megan Sarmardin, with the aim to highlight Slim Dusty’s enduring respect and recognition for First Nation’s people. She says every First Nations guitarist will at first learn to play a Slim Dusty song.
Beginning as a series of music workshops throughout North Queensland, Looking Forward Looking Back has provided participants the opportunity to be nurtured by high-calibre mentors. Sarmardin says it is “a way to give back to the community”.
“There’s a lot to be said about the power of music – sharing it, playing it and being involved with it,” she says. “It’s good for your mental health and wellbeing. This is going to be a big celebration of music and the power of song.”
This free performance will include a mix of reimagined Slim Dusty songs and originals, with emerging musicians accompanied on stage by popular Indigenous bands Black Image and BullDust. The musicians will be joined by household names Jem Cassar-Daley, Emma Donovan, Jungaji and the Briscoe Sisters.
Other NAFA treats include Camp Culture, to be presented at the Festival Hub at Strand Park. This is Dale Woodbridge Brown’s sassy show about growing up as a “faboriginal” kid in the bush to become one of Australia’s most prolific circus artists.
Snuff Puppets’ acclaimed art spectacle Seagulls will be a roving performance at NAFA and there are plenty more treats including work presented by Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, headlined by Waanyi multi-media artist Judy Watson’s internationally acclaimed exhibition Skeletons.
Get InReview in your inbox – free each Saturday. Local arts and culture – covered.
Thanks for signing up to the InReview newsletter.
Now all the North Queensland capital needs is a new theatre and concert hall to complement the burgeoning arts scene in a city that’s also home to the internationally acclaimed Australian Festival of Chamber Music. Townsville is shifting the focus of the arts scene north – and that’s something to celebrate.
North Australian Festival of Arts, Strand Park and various venues, Townsville, September 26 to October 13.
Support local arts journalism
Your support will help us continue the important work of InReview in publishing free professional journalism that celebrates, interrogates and amplifies arts and culture in South Australia.
Donate Here
