Looking for ways to immerse yourself in our Indigenous heritage and culture on Monday? Check out our curated list of the best ways to celebrate Reconciliation Day in the capital.
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1. Reconciliation in the Park
From basket weaving to bush tucker talks, storytelling and a children’s art workshop, this event is the perfect way to celebrate with family. Folk-inspired pop duo Busby Marou headline a packed program of music, which includes Canberra's The Voice finalist Lucy Sugerman, The Chesterfield Band, Johnny Huckle and Hardcover.
A petting zoo, jumping castle and face painting are also available. The day’s activities reflect the National Reconciliation Week 2018 theme "Don’t make history a mystery".
Reconciliation in the Park, Monday, May 28, 10am to 2pm, Glebe Park. Free event.
2. Reconciliation Day celebrations at the National Gallery of Australia
The NGA is celebrating Reconciliation Day with a busy day of cultural performances, conversations and workshops for the whole family. The program includes a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony and performances by the Reconciliation Choir and Ngambri Dancers.
There is also a range of free Indigenous cultural experiences happening including Sit Down 'Yarn Up' with Indigenous elders, local bush food and medicine, and drop-in adornment jewellery or art classes.
The day at the NGA includes tours of The National Picture: The Art of Tasmania’s Black War and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Galleries.
Reconciliation Day celebrations, Monday, May 28, 9.30am to 5pm, National Gallery of Australia. Free entry.
3. Reconciliation Day Eve concert
Indigenous music legend Archie Roach says it's a significant year, being the 10th anniversary of former prime minister Kevin Rudd's Apology to the Stolen Generations. He’s performing on the eve of our public holiday, Sunday, May 27, in an intimate performance at The Playhouse.
Roach will perform songs from his new album, Dancing With My Spirit, recorded almost 25 years ago and featuring the vocal harmonies of the Tiddas.
Dancing With My Spirit, Archie Roach & Tiddas, Sunday May 27, 8pm, The Playhouse. Tickets $50-$75. canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 6275 2700.
4. Zach's Ceremony screening
As part of Reconciliation Week, Tuggeranong Arts Centre is hosting a screening of Zach’s Ceremony, an uplifting coming-of-age feature documentary debut from director Aaron Peterson which follows the complex journey of Zach Doomadgee from boyhood to manhood. The screening will be followed by a Q&A; with Zach and his father, creator and producer Alec Doomadgee.
Zach's Ceremony, Sunday, March 27, 3pm, Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Entry is free, but secure your place at tuggeranongarts.com/events/zachs-ceremony.
5. Briggs and Bad Apples Music House Party
Just ahead of the new public holiday, Indigenous record label Bad Apples Music is hosting a concert with a full line-up of emerging and established Indigenous artists. Headlined by Briggs, performers include Birdz, Queanbeyan boy Omar Musa, Nooky, Alice Skye, Tasman Keith, and Kobie Dee, and the event is hosted by Hau from Triple J.
Sunday 27 May, 9.30pm, Canberra Theatre Centre bar. Tickets $30 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.
6. Explore shareourpride.org.au
If you’re looking for something you can do with your kids from the comfort of the lounge, check out shareourpride.org.au
The easy-to-use website is an initiative of Reconciliation Australia and aims to give Australians “a glimpse of how life looks from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective”.
Grab the kids and their iPads and explore questions like ‘Who are the first Australians?’, 'What special connection do they have with the land?' and 'Why does the past matter today? Can’t we just put it behind us?’
Head to shareourpride.org.au
