RN celebrate 21 years of Awaye!

Australia's only national Indigenous arts and culture show, AWAYE!, is celebrating 21 years on ABC Radio National.

The celebrations begin this Saturday from 6pm, with an exclusive live recording of Gurrumul and the Sydney Symphony orchestra. They will then present a month-long series of talks and performances by prominent Indigenous leaders including singer-songwriter, Archie Roach, artist and provocateur, Richard Bell, and Chair of the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council, Lydia Miller.

The program was initially commissioned for one year. Lorena Allam, an integral part of AWAYE!, says: “Nobody expected we would still be going strong, 21 years later."

“We’ve produced thousands of stories documenting the dynamic and diverse nature of Indigenous art and cultural practice in Australia, won a slew of awards, provided a training ground for dozens of Indigenous broadcasters and discovered emerging artists, musicians, actors and writers, who are now household names. Happy 21st birthday to all of you!”

Presenter Daniel Browning (pictured) says, “AWAYE! signposts important cultural moments, drawing on the past and honouring our heroes. We say we stand on the shoulders of giants, and this is vitally important as we continue to tell our stories.”

Find out more about the celebrations for AWAYE! on RN here.