SHINE ON GIMUY FESTIVAL 2023
In October 2023 over 33,000 people attended the inaugural Shine On Gimuy Festival, a First Nations Event held in the heart of Gimuy / Cairns. Presented by Shine On Productions in partnership with Queensland Music Festival (QMF), and hosted by the Yidinji Nation, the Fig Tree Boulevard and Gimuy Waterfront were illuminated by stunning light shows, soundscapes, art installations, programmed talks, and music performances where age-old knowledge and traditions, music, art, science and previously-untold stories unfolded.
Shine On Gimuy is an immersive First Nations-led, multi-arts Festival which showcases the wealth of Indigenous arts and culture in Tropical North Queensland — a celebration of art, culture, language and history — a journey of immersion, exploration and connection to the world's oldest culture.
The opening night featured the Calling Country Opening Ceremony led by Minjil Dance Group, honoring the protocol of host nation the Yidindji, followed by The Shine on Gimuy official opening from Professor Henrietta Marrie AM (Yidinji Elder and Traditional Owner) and Rhoda Roberts AO (Artistic Director, Shine on Gimuy), and live music from Indigenous music maker Dan Sultan at the Salt House Festival Hub.
The inaugural Shine On Gimuy festival was made possible due to the collaborative partnerships from The Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council, and key local stakeholders including James Cook University, Salt House, Crystalbrook, Lend Lease, Bukal Consulting Services, Minjil Dance Group, Final Touch Productions and Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
ArtStory Walk
The 100-metre-long immersive ArtStory Walk showcased vibrant large scale art and light art installations designed by local artists Paul Bong (Yidinji) and Michelle Yeatman (Gunggandji). The giant artworks were enhanced by an evocative soundscape featuring the language and songs from local First Nations songmen.
Shields and Swords
Paul Bong
Paul Bong’s Shield and Sword designs are a unique element of Yidinji traditional life.
The totemic symbolism and design on each shield represented family groups and was associated with male initiation and coming-of-age ceremonial practices where the young warriors received a shield and sword.
Stingrays
The old people would say, “it’s always written twice: once in the sky and once on the ground.”
Stingray is a story that travels from Yidinydji saltwater to the Torres Strait Islands. The stingray Yulu (Yoo loo) plays an integral part in the story of Gimuy country, a symbol of knowledge and lore.
Saltwater
Michelle Yeatman
Michelle Yeatman’s sand shells and saltwater of Yarrabah's beaches reflect a personal connection to country that shines on through the illuminated Jilgi pots. Like land, the stories of the seabed, the formation of the seagrass, sandbanks, channels, and reefs were undertaken by ancestral spirits.
The artwork represents our saltwater country, reminding us of its value; it cleanses and purifies and, like art, is a blessing.
Calling Country Opening Ceremony
The Calling Country ceremony honoured the protocol of the host nation, the Yidinydji. The welcome, a call and response, incorporated language and story through the historic gathering of the families connected to the Yidinydji people through ancient storylines.
Not seen for generations, this ceremonial presentation engaged the cultural practitioners of the Yidinydji, Gungganji, Djabuganydji, Yalanji and Mabuiag Island songmen, song women, community and artists.
The Calling Country was a unique and vital opportunity to reinvigorate the age-old cultural systems of intergenerational knowledge transmissions of language, belief systems, costume, song, story and dance.
Salt House Festival Hub
From October 5 – 8, Salt House hosted the Music Makers live music performances from some of Australia’s best known First Nations talent, and the Deep Wisdom talk series, featuring cultural knowledge holders who will explore a range of topics including sea migration, story of origin/creation, land, sea and sky stories, songlines across country, fire management, First Nations inventors.
Music Makers Live at Salt House Festival Hub
A stellar four day live music programme invited performances from iconic First Nations artists including Headliners Dan Sultan, Emily Wurramara, Miiesha and Jungaji (formerly known as Troy Brady), and local talent David Hudson, Mau Power, Deline Briscoe and The Briscoe Sisters and Dizzy Doolan.
In Conversations
As part of the Music Makers’ program, Shine On Gimuy’s Artistic Director Rhoda Roberts AO was joined by headliners Dan Sultan, Miiesha, Emily Wurramara and Jungaji. Rhoda got up close and personal with the artists, discussing topics including music, growing up as First Nations people, and what’s coming up next in their musical careers.
Deep Wisdom Talks
The Shine On Gimuy “Deep Wisdom” Talk Series, sponsored by James Cook University, featured some of the nation’s most respected Scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders, who discussed a range of topics including “Meet the Knowledge Investigators behind the World's First Inventors”, “The Story of Sovereign Country; The Origins of The Living Cultures”, “Sophisticated Communications, Message Sticks and Songlines” and “Sea Country and Marine Resources — The World's Largest Coral Reef System”.
The interactive talks included delicious local produce luncheon and afternoon tea from local TNQ sources
The Blak Markets
The ArtStory walk led us all the way to Shine On Gimuy’s Blak Markets, which featured handcrafted and unique jewellery, artwork and more by talented First Nations Artisans including Paul Bong, Lia Pa’Pa’Pa, Blak Markets Art Townsville, Cape York Art & Made With Meaning, Marita Budden and delicious food by Salt House Catering.
Shine On Gimuy 2023 Program
