NAIDOC Week celebrations (July 4-11) are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC is celebrated not only in indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.
The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.
On July 5 and 6 at 10am the National Maritime Museum offers wearable art workshops using Indigenous weaving techniques. This workshop is open to ages 8-14 and will be facilitated by artists from the Boolarng-Nangamai Aboriginal Art and Culture Studio. It costs $15.
On July 6 Harrison Galleries at 294 Glenmore Rd, Paddington opens a special exhibition featuring Adam Hill. Hill’s art shows strong political views mixed with heavy doses of cynical humour. His paintings pay homage to freedom fighters and tell the story of the injustice, inequality and dislocation of Aboriginal people.
Hill’s use of bold, intense colour, heavy outlines and simple graphic elements offer a striking picture and are, in many ways, reminiscent of the caricatured style of protest art. Hill’s works are held in many major collections, including the National Gallery of Australia.
