Footscray Community Arts Centre

Blogs: Get With The Program

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A bright bright Gift of Light

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On Saturday 20th June, Federation Square light up with the boundless energies of thirteen communities including over 100 performers, Ethiopian coffee, Latin American hot chocolate, Afghan tea, Turkish delight and traditional Indian wedding sweets!  Federation Square lived up to its true civic nature, as over 1800 people witnessed performances from extraordinary community members all offering their cultural relationship to light through song and dance.

Aunty Carolyn Briggs opened the festival with a warming welcome to country followed by a traditional dance by John Tye from the One Fire Troupe.  The EKOL School of Arts performed a traditional candle dance which is a lament to the Turkish Romeo and Juliet whose love was thwarted by losing each other without candle light to guide their path.  Contemporary El Salvadorean artist Alcides Flores Mendez created a truly beautiful work specifically for the event, called the “O” sculpture inspired by the Mayan and Aztec relationship to the astral bodies through ancient ball games.  (Check it out here)

The ever elegant Chaw Po, her daughter Eve and fellow Burmese community members NweNi Tun, Thiri Kin and Maw Maw danced their version of a candle dance offering thanks to Buddha.  You could get your head band to support democratic rights for the Burmese people whilst witnessing a traditional Afghan harmonium player conducting a rousing singing session from a beautifully adorned Afghan style tent.  You could learn some delicate origami techniques from the ever generous Mari Heazlewood and her trusty team of volunteers from the Japanese community, whilst dancer Masami Sato performed with the very very cool Shamisen player Niroko Tadano and drummer Toshi Sakamoto.  And what’s an event without a wedding…! 

Under the elegant guidance of Shabbir Wahid and Pretti Jaabal, the event was ecstatic to host a wedding tent adorned by the Indian community celebrating the forthcoming nuptials of Aditi Gupta and Priyank Pattani.  We were truly blessed to share in the bride and groom’s ceremony and we must give our warmest thanks to Aditi and Priyank’s parents, Renuka and Anil Gupta and Panna and Vijay Pattani for letting the world share in their children’s forthcoming nuptials.  We were also honoured to have H. E. Ms. Sujatha Singh, High Commissioner of India, attend the event to share in the revelry.  The High Commissioner - wow!

And of course what Footscray Community Arts Centre event wouldn’t be complete without some hot tunes somewhere in the mix?  Yep, our very own DJ Metse Hagos rocked the BMW Edge at an after party celebrating the gathering of thirteen communities, their leaders and artists. 

Check out some of our pics from the night…

Thanks again to everyone, truly EVERYONE involved in making the Gift of Light event possible 