Aboriginal cultural centre Narana will host NaranaFEST on Saturday, November 14. Narana is a significant attraction on the Great Ocean Road that seeks to “build understanding of Aboriginal history and culture in a welcoming, friendly and relaxed atmosphere, through personal interaction with groups and individuals from all community backgrounds”.
It is a division of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress that is the Aboriginal arm of the Uniting Church in Australia. The first line-up has been announced, with Archie Roach leading the way as Charcoal Lane celebrates its 25th anniversary. Yirrmal, Chris Russell’s Chicken Walk, Fraser A. Gorman, Ezekiel Ox & DJ Marze, Cherrywood, The Louds, Dead City Lights and Apakatjah are also set to perform. Charcoal Lane features the song ‘Took the Children Away’, a track about the treatment of Indigenous children from the Stolen Generation. The ARIA-winning track also landed Archie an International Human Rights Achievement Award, making him the first person ever to receive the honour for a song. In 2013, the song was added to the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra, as part of the Sounds of Australia collection. Further information on both Narana and the festival can be found through narana.com.au.