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2003 Art is… freedom
The festival opened on March
21st with an exciting multicultural celebration
and expression of freedom titled “River Beat”.
America had just gone to war in Iraq and March 21st
was International Day for the Elimination of Racism,
or World Harmony Day.
Farren Branson (leader of local indigenous dance
group Wallup Mara) welcomed and connected performers to Wotjobaluk
Country. The audience was moved and thrilled by
Brazilian Capoeira dancers, the power of Ruatau
Maori Culture Group, local school children singing
African songs with guest artist, Carlos Panguana,
the outstanding artistic trampolining choreography
executed by the Horsham Gymnastics Club trampolining
team, local Irish, German, Koori and Sri Lankan
performers and the gospel-style songs of freedom
performed by the One Voice choir.
The Gyuto Monks of Tibet
performed in River Beat, ran a
series of community and schools’ workshops,
provided meditation sessions, created a sand
mandala, played in an “international”
cricket match (Tibet V Natimuk, Australia), attended
an Indian feast at Dadswells Bridge, and closed
the festival with a poignant dissolution ceremony
with a large public procession to the river to release
the “sands to the waters of the earth”.
Belly dancing workshops, songs from the Pacific
Island region, an outdoor screening of locally made
film “Lost in the Bush”, Brazilian Jazz
and “Closet Rockers” all contributed
to the celebration of Freedom.
The very emotive short film “Dreams of Freedom”
was made for the Art is…freedom festival and
has gone on to be screened in film festivals across
the country.
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