Regardless of when its celebrated NAIDOC Week is an event of national importance for all Australians.
That’s the message from the National NAIDOC Committee as communities right around Australia begin celebrating NAIDOC Week 2020 (November 8-15).
Typically held from July 5-12, this year’s event was postponed as a pandemic precautionary measure, with this year’s festivities mostly online events celebrating Indigenous history, culture and the survival of the oldest continuing culture alive on the planet, reflecting this year’s event theme of ‘Always Was, Always Will Be.’
Locally, Central Coast Council is marking NAIDOC Week with a series of public art installations throughout the Toukley Town Centre.
The artworks will showcase an adaptation of the story of Tiddalick the Frog.
This version was written by Reegan Peterson and through the guidance of Elders, has come to life in a local context, with Kamillori descendent and San Remo based emerging First Nations artist, Kyle Waters-Sampson, creating a series of site specific illustrations that tell the interpretation of the story.
Selected pieces have been reproduced for NAIDOC Week and will be displayed as murals at Toukley Library and along Main Rd, Toukley.
Barang Regional Alliance is a collective made up of six of the Coast’s leading Indigenous community organisations and strives to forge strong connections and relationships within the community to establish a brighter future for all.
Wyong’s Gudjagang Ngara li-dhi Aboriginal Corporation is an Alliance member and will be launching its Black Lives Matter I Can’t Breathe exhibition on November 11, an invitation only event, as part of NAIDOC Week, with the exhibition to run at their community hub on Church St until December 23.
Dilon Luke