While NAIDOC Week is widely celebrated throughout Australia, with an incredibly rich program detailed on the official website, this year it is also taking place in Paris, France.
The Australian Embassy and its partners offer a wide range of free activities (guided tours of exhibitions in small groups, culinary workshops, conferences, day dedicated to children, etc.) to introduce the general public to the history of the First Nations Australians and celebrate the richness of Aboriginal and island cultures.
This week is part of the Australia now program, which celebrates Australian diversity, creativity and innovation in France until autumn 2022. More than a hundred events in Paris and in the regions highlight the many facets from Australia, from the arts to gastronomy, via cinema, dance, sport and the art of living.
MONDAY JULY 4
12:30 Exclusive visit of the Sally Gabori exhibition at the Fondation Cartier, guided by curator Juliette Lecorne.
TUESDAY JULY 5
Morning & afternoon Cooking station with Kath Witbreuk, Chef to the Ambassador, featuring native Australian produce in recipes developed by Indigenous chef from SA.
12:00 Exclusive virtual visit of Destiny – the art of Destiny Deacon at the Embassy guided by NGV’s Indigenous senior curator Myles Russell-Cook (in English).
19:00 Nuit Sally Gabori with Sally Gabori’s family & contributors to the catalogue: Nicholas Evans, Bruce Johnson McLean and Judith Ryan.
WEDNESDAY JULY 6
9h30am to 11am Exclusive visit of the Musée du quai Branly Indigenous Australian collection guided by curator Stéphanie Leclerc Caffarel.
13:00 Exclusive visit at the Palais de Tokyo of Reclaim the Earth guided by senior curator Daria De Beauvais.
19:00 High Ground film directed by Stephen Johnson – screening in the Embassy auditorium (in partnership with Cinema des Antipodes).
THURSDAY JULY 7
8:30 Breakfast & discussion on the ethical trade of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art with Stephanie Parkin – President, Indigenous Art Code, Gabrielle Sullivan, CEO, Indigenous Art Code, Solenne Ducos-Lamotte, Director, IDAIA, and Arnaud Morvan, anthropologist and curator (in English, with Q&A possible in French).
18:30 Etched in Bone film screening directed by Béatrice Bijon in the Embassy auditorium.
FRIDAY JULY 8
9am to 5pm Children’s Day at the Embassy – The 6 Seasons:
BIRAK A sandbox to draw, touch and feel
BUNURU A TV corner with NITV and ABC Indigenous
DJERAN A kitchen table with plants and Indigenous foods
MAKURU & KAMBARANG Painting and craft tables
DJILBA Reading corner & traditional music
9:30 & 15:00 Children’s workshop Australian Animals with Baïka.
9:30 & 15:00 Children’s workshop Exploring Australia with Baïka.
SATURDAY 9 JULY + SUNDAY 9 JULY
Online media content.
SOURCE: Embassy of Australia in France.