First Peoples festivals and events
John Wayne Parsons, Yaluk-ut Weelam Festival
Since Council amalgamation in 1994, the role of Indigenous Arts Officers, held by Maree Clark as the first Koori Arts Officer from 1994 to 1998, has been to produce a range of events and arts programs focusing on Aboriginal culture and artists.
These events include the annual celebration of Reconciliation week, Mabo Day, NAIDOC Week and the annual arts festival - the Yaluk-ut Weelam Ngargee.
The Yaluk-ut Weelam Ngargee continues as an annual event held in conjunction with the St Kilda Festival.
Festival posters
The festival posters from the Port Phillip City Collection were produced to promote these annual events and arts programs, and document the festivals' development over time and the rich visual legacy of the participating artists. The two posters below were produced for the 1996 and 1999 We Iri We Homeborn Indigenous Arts Festival.
Poster for We Iri We Homeborn: 1999 Indigenous Arts Festival, copyright Donna Brown.
Poster for We Iri - We Homeborn: Five Statewide Art Exhibitions, held at various venues including St Kilda Town Hall and Linden Gallery in July 1996.