Festival celebrates Dja Dja Wurrung culture

A FIVE-day arts festival showcasing Dja Dja Wurrung culture is now underway at Dudley House.

Called Malamiya Mang, or then and now, the festival includes a free exhibition, arts and crafts market, workshops and cultural tours with Dja Dja Wurrung tour guides.

Festival producer Sarah Lowe said she was excited to celebrate the region’s oldest living culture.

“Malamiya Mang Arts Festival is a first for Bendigo, which draws a connection of Dja Dja Wurrung country and people from the past to here and now,” she said.

Ms Lowe said the meaning of Malamiya Mang was best captured by elder Aunty Fay Carter.

“Aunty Fay said, ‘I’d like the rest of the world to know that Dja Dja Wurrung still exists. We are still here as a people. We are proud and value our culture’,” Ms Lowe said.

“The festival aims to bring that sentiment to life, and we are really excited to share it with the wider community.”

The art exhibition will run until Monday, 17 April and are visitors able to purchase the works on display, as well as buy crafts from the market.

This weekend workshops will be held offering participants the chance to learn directly from Dja Dja Wurrung people about traditional plants and healing, bush food, and boomerang painting.

For the kids, there will be a puppet show featuring native animals, while cultural walking tours will also run over the weekend.

Bookings for the workshops and the cultural tours can be made via bit.ly/3Ujj6lB, and the art exhibition and market are free to attend.