Yabun festival goes digital

The festival is the largest one-day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in Australia

Survival Day gathering, the Yabun festival, isn’t letting coronavirus restrictions get in the way of people enjoying this year’s event, announcing it will be going digital for the first time in its 17-year history. 

Normally based in Camperdown, Sydney, the event provides a space for people to share in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture on 26 January.  

Due to COVID-19 restrictions however, this year’s event will be streamed from three isolated venues – the Yabun stage, Speak Out and Corroboree – featuring a range of panelists, dancers, and performers.  

Greater access for all 

This year’s event will be sponsored by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF), and the organisation’s executive director, Karen Williams, said that the event going digital was actually a chance to open it up to more people. 

“A digital event gives access to an Australia-wide audience and we are excited that the remote communities that we work with, have an opportunity to join this national celebration,” Williams said. 

“We invite the ILF community to tune into Yabun 2021 and join us in celebrating the survival, resilience, immense contribution and success of First Nations people.”

The public can join the event via live stream video or Koori Radio 93.7FM on 26 January. 

The full line up performers will be announced via the event’s website here.