Come to friendly Nauiyu, on the mighty Daly River to celebrate the 27th Merrepen Arts Festival

30 & 31 May, 1 June 2014

Hightlights of this year’s Festival include:

Ngan’giwetimbi Dememarrgu Old Stories New Ways …

….a cultural performance featuring dance, music and fashion centred around the traditional stories of the Nauiyu artists of Merrepen Arts and displaying the contemporary and exciting textiles that have created a stir across Australia over the past two years.

6.30 for 7pm Saturday 31 May

Bring a picnic basket and a rug.

The famous Merrepen Art Sale

Merrepen artists are renowned for their colourful depictions of local flora and fauna in prints, paintings, fabrics and objects. The festival art sale is a unique opportunity to purchase decorative Merrepen artworks and screen printed fabrics at community prices.

Art Sale from 10.00am Saturday 31st & Sunday 1st June

Cultural Workshops and Demonstrations

Learn about making and playing the Didgeridoo along with Spear, Clap Sticks, Boomerang and fire making demonstrations at 11am Saturday 31st. Then at mid-day local women will share their culture and knowledge through a dilly bag weaving workshop.

Exhibition and sale of Screen Printed Fabrics

Merrepen Arts has long been famous for its printed fabrics and a new range created in collaboration with fabric designer Bobbie Ruben and featured in Saturday’s cultural performance will be on sale over the weekend includes some historic and some completely new designs.

Q&A Merrepen Fabrics

Meet some of the artists, hear their stories and find out how the fabric designs were created.

Book Launch

The launch of Ngan’gi Plants and Animals by Ethnobiologist Glenn Wightman and Patricia Marrfurra McTaggart AM.

Dance and Music

The weekend will include traditional and contemporary performances by the Red Flag Dhumbala Dancers and Yilila Band from Numbulwar, who with their mix of traditional dance and contemporary music will be part of the cultural performance and the Saturday night entertainment. Mambali Band from Ngukurr will give you a night of music in the moonlight, dancing in the sand.

Daytime dance performances will include the Wadeye traditional dancers and Sunameke Pacific Island Dance Group and Xango Capoeira Brazilian music, dance and acrobatics. See the program page for full details.

Bush Tucker

Traditional bush tucker will be roasting in the fire all weekend with frequent tastings available and a fun guess the bush tucker competition on Sunday afternoon.