Homeground attracts 10,000 visitors to Sydney

10,000 visitors flocked to the Western Broadwalk on October 8 and 9 to immerse themselves in the music, art and dance showcased at Homeground, the Sydney Opera House’s annual celebration of First Nations culture.

The national dance competition Dance Rites, hailed by ABC’s Lateline as “one of the nation’s most joyful and competitive Indigenous cultural events”, dazzled a capacity crowd in its second year. Koomurri, made up of members from the Yuin, Bundjalung and Gamilaroi Nations, was declared the winner after a hard-fought competition, receiving a $20,000 prize and the opportunity to perform at next year’s Homeground.

Over 180 dancers performed an arrival, farewell and “wildcard” dance in the sand circle stage of the Dance Rites competition, which aims to reignite vanishing cultural practices through sharing knowledge between generations and communities.

NSW Deputy Premier & Minister for the Arts Troy Grant says, “Sharing culture is vital to foster deeper connections in our community. I’m thrilled to see how Dance Rites has grown from one year to the next. Homeground is an exciting opportunity for people to come together from across the country in celebration.”

As Sydney Opera House’s Head of First Nations Programming, Rhoda Roberts AO says, “The crowd at Homeground showed that there is a huge appetite for First Nations culture that acknowledges history, but is uniquely relevant in 2016. Homeground has the capacity to unite us all and become a signature cultural event in Sydney.”

The weekend of experiences brought to life the age-old traditions of Bennelong Point, known to the Gadigal people as Tubowgule.

Alongside Vivid LIVE, All About Women, Festival of Dangerous Ideas and GRAPHIC, Homeground is a signature annual festival in the Opera House calendar. Visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com for more information.

Photo: Koomurri performed in Dance Rites at Homeground. Photo by Joseph Mayers.