Gili Gatherings is a day-long event curated by Akala Newman that celebrates and spotlights the voices and stories of First Nations people. On the 5th of August, PACT Centre for Emerging Artists’ iconic Erskineville Warehouse will illuminate an experiential collective community glow.

Gili meaning ‘to shine’ in the Gadigal language, inspires this live event through storytelling in many forms from the firepit, to the stage, to the stars in the sky. This event looks to challenge stereotypes of what First Nations art "should be", drawing on a variety of different performers, painters, poets and more to showcase their unique talents to us, the community.

The day will comprise a series of curated activities and events including healing yoga, a clothes swap market, food stalls, live artwork, poetry, dance, music, voguing, drag and so much more. Keep your eyes peeled for the full program!

This day is for you, so head on to PACT and enjoy a celestial meeting of art, culture and community.

PLEASE NOTE: From 1:00pm to 5:00pm, this event is free and open to everyone! At 5pm, the event will become ticketed to support the amazing artists who will perform. Please use this site to pre-purchase tickets for the 5pm+ performances. While door tickets will be available on the day depending on capacity, we strongly recommend pre-purchasing to ensure your booking.

Details:

Date: Saturday 5th of August, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville, 2043 (PACT Centre for Emerging Artists)

Gili Gatherings is an inclusive event. There is a limited allocation of free tickets available for those experiencing economic or social hardship. Please contact info@pact.net.au for more information on accessing these tickets.

LINEUP:

Fetu Taku
Dakota Feirer
Daniel Mateo
Zeppelin Hamilton
DJ Naian
Chantelle Landayan
Danni
Tynga Williams
Durunanang
BLANCHE
Mea's Cultural Creations
Akala Newman

About the curator:

Akala Newman is a Wiradjuri/Gadigal multi-disciplined performer, songwriter, educator and cultural producer whose experience includes cultural care practices. The Urban List once described Akala Newman as a “Bonafide triple threat we really can’t get enough of at the moment". It's hard to pinpoint Akala in one direction, she creates a genre that is uniquely her own storytelling and creates worlds in many forms from the stage to academia.

Her artistry is influenced by fantasy and magic; she challenges the notion of what it means to be a First Nations woman today and to live by your own narrative. She wrote and performed the opening song for the New Year's Eve Fireworks at Sydney Opera House, ‘Calling Country’. She won the inaugural Indigitube song contest where she was flown to Darwin to perform at the National Indigenous Music Awards. She opened the Women's World Cup draw in Aotearoa with Gawura Dance Company. Akala also starred in Brook Andrew’s GABAN for the opening season of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ Sydney Modern.

You can learn more about Akala by visiting www.pact.net.au/giligatherings

Lineup:

Stay tuned for the announcement!

About PACT

PACT’s vision is driven by the belief that emerging artists are the engines that power the arts sector, producing the most ground-breaking works of today and tomorrow. For more than 50 years PACT has provided performance makers with the time, space, and professional development needed to advance their artistic careers and drive forward the performance culture of Australia.

Access Information

PACT is committed to the health and well-being of our employees, artists, and visitors.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have any access requirements you would like to discuss prior to purchasing a ticket, such as Audio Description, please contact charlotte@pact.net.au by 5 pm 10th February.

PACT is a fully accessible space with a small ramp at the entrance, flat floors throughout and dedicated wheelchair-accessible toilet and accessible street parking (non-dedicated). The closest accessible train station is Newtown Train Station (15 mins). PACT is committed to making our projects and performances as inclusive as possible for everyone to enjoy. If you have any suggestions or would like any information in another format, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

Phone 02 9550 2744 or email info@pact.net.au
National Relay Service ask for PACT on 02 9550 2744