ST KILDA FESTIVAL: FIRST PEOPLES FIRST

2023 sees the return of the long-running St Kilda Festival to its traditional big festival format on Sunday, February 19. It is, however, returning with a big, exciting difference.

Words by Kosa Monteith

For the first time, the traditional Big Festival Sunday will be combined in the same weekend event with First Peoples First on Saturday, February 18. This is a family-friendly community celebration of diverse First People’s culture, talent, creativity, storytelling and more. This year they’ll be supporting emerging musical talent alongside big-name artists, as well as paying tribute to industry great, Archie Roach.

First Peoples Arts, Festivals & Events Officer, Fred Gesha, has been with the festival for 10 years, but the changes ahead for 2023 are some of the biggest and most exciting.

“We’ve gone through a few different variations of the festival,” he said. “It was time for a change in formatting and presenting the festival. It normally took place the week before in O’Donnell Gardens, but in 2023 we’re also on the main stage at the St Kilda Foreshore. Saturday is a celebration of First People’s artists, culture and community. This year, it raises the profile of our event to another level, by partnering with the huge Sunday festival. Now we’re under the one banner. It’s also impacted the programming of the Sunday, with the inclusion of more First Nations artists across the whole weekend.

“We want everybody to come down and experience Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage,” Fred said. “The diversity of it, the music and artworks.”

The festival across both days has also facilitated proactive accessibility and inclusivity for the 2023 iteration, and First Peoples First on the Saturday will, for example, include a bus service and dedicated festival space for Elders, as well as targeted outreach ahead of the event with print materials and community advertising across First People’s media and a live broadcast on 3KND, Melbourne’s first Indigenous owned and managed radio station.

Of course, music is still a huge component. Stages at O’Donnell Gardens and the foreshore will showcase varied programming throughout the day.

“It is a platform for showcasing young and very talented emerging artists, and they’re complemented by seasoned artists and legends of the Indigenous music scene,” Fred said.

“The festival exposes new artists to very diverse audiences, giving them a chance to network and form collaborations of their own while playing a big festival and trying out their new material and presenting their songs. We’ve had the likes of Baker Boy and Alice Skye at this festival, who’ve gone on to do great things. Hopefully these young artists will also become big names.”

The St Kilda Festival has a partnership with the Archie Roach Foundation, with programming planned over both Saturday and Sunday. Roach died in July of 2022, but had performed many times at the festival over the years.

“The focus on Saturday is the tribute to Archie Roach and his contribution to the industry and the festival as a whole,” Fred said. “He was homeless in the St Kilda area, so it’s a significant place to him. He made a lot of connections with local Traditional Owners. The Archie Roach Foundation will be presenting their Singing Our Futures program, supporting 5 young emerging artists. There’ll also be an Archie Roach tribute featuring prominent established artists. It’s very much a dedication to him and his contribution to the festival. Now, we’re seeing the next generation of First People’s artists coming through. They’re the ones carrying on his legacy to the Australian music scene.”

The Saturday lineup, which has just been announced, includes headliner Christine Anu, Lady Lash, Jem CassarDaley, Jungaji, Dean Brady and Loren Ryan on the Main Stage, alongside Caution, Creedence Blanco, Robert Bamblett, IO-P Hip Hop Crew, Small Ant Brothers and Pirritu on the O’Donnell Gardens Stage. The First Peoples First day of the St Kilda Festival promises to be a significant event in the summer festival calendar, bringing diverse communities together to celebrate Australia’s First People’s cultures, icons, history and shared future.

First Peoples First will be celebrated on Saturday February 18 as part of St Kilda Festival 2023.