Skinnyfish Music Given Reins To Barunga Festival For Five Years

As the event approaches its 27th event since its inception, stakeholders in the iconic Barunga Festival have given Skinnyfish Music – whose directors Mark Grose and Michael Hohnen were recently awarded NT Australians of the Year – the chance to run the festival and build on its already significant history, it was announced today.

"We strongly believe in the important role that community festivals play and are fully committed to ensuring that the Barunga Festival is a community event with community outcomes including sustained training opportunities and small business development" said Skinnyfish Managing Director Mark Grose in a statement this afternoon.

The event sees people from all over the country descend upon a small indigenous community south of Katherine where they camp and take part in a program of workshops, dancing ceremonies, traditional bush tucker gathering, didgeridoo making, basket weaving and enjoy plenty of great music and sport from the region.

“We give our full blessing to this arrangement with Skinnyfish Music and will provide whatever support we can,” said CEO of Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation Wes Miller. “We hope that sponsors and supporters of the festival will also embrace this agreement and help get the ball rolling for 2013".

Senior members of the Bagala people and other senior members of the community were also part of the discussions that resulted in Skinnyfish being given the chance to run the event.

The 2013 event will take place from Friday 7 June through to Monday 10.