A new First Nations arts and cultural festival that will form part of a state-wide music program has received Council backing.
Council has committed $25,000 to support Shine on Gimuy, Queensland’s newest First Nations arts and cultural festival to be staged on the Cairns waterfront precinct from 5-14 October.
It will form part of the ‘Tropics Trail’, a state-wide Queensland Music Trails (QMF) program supported by the Queensland Government.
The festival will be run by new company Shine on Productions Pty Ltd, which has been formed by highly experienced producers Julie Brooks and Merryn Hughes, who have successfully delivered large scale projects in Australia and internationally over 30 years.
The 10-day, public festival will showcase local First Nations stories through immersive curated sound and light installations at the Cairns Esplanade, with ticketed forums to be held at the Salthouse restaurant.
The festival program has been curated and developed in partnership with local artists and local First Nations groups.
As well as promoting Cairns as the arts and cultural capital of Northern Australia, the festival will also provide a platform to increase the knowledge and understanding of First Nations culture and stories.
Shine on Gimuy will also help grow the local skills base by employing more than 20 local artists and 50 creative industry professionals.
