Festival set to celebrate city’s cultural diversity
Published on 06 September 2023
Speers Point Park will come alive with sights, smells and sounds from across the globe later this month as part of Lake Mac’s annual celebration of multiculturalism.
The Sunday 17 September Living Together Festival will include workshops, demonstrations and performances from a kaleidoscope of countries and cultures.
Lake Macquarie City Council Manager Community Partnerships Andrew Bryant said last year’s inaugural Living Together Festival had been a huge success, prompting this year’s expanded instalment.
“More than 10 per cent of people in Lake Mac were born overseas, and we’re also home to one of the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in NSW,” he said.
“That’s a rich tapestry of traditions and cultures to draw from, and this festival will certainly showcase that in all its colour.”
The festival will feature two ‘world stages’, as well as an ‘eat zone’ with international cooking, mindfulness and rhythm zones and a ‘tent of big dreams’, where traditional stories from around the world will be told in native languages, from Hebrew to Swedish.
A First Nations zone will feature a bush tucker talk, canoe-building demonstration, art and weaving activities and a chat with First Nations advocate and Member of the Order of Australia Sean Gordon about the proposed Voice to Parliament.
ARIA-nominated international music group Worlds Collide will feature in a 1.15pm performance on the main stage, bringing together musicians from seven different cultures to create music that celebrates inclusion, cultural pride and diversity.
Countries represented in other performances on the world stages include Tibet, Poland, Indonesia, India, New Zealand, China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.
Living Together Festival is supported by the NSW Government. It is part of the Living Smart Festival event weekend.
Minister for Multiculturalism Steven Kamper said the government was pleased to partner with Council to bring the festival to life.
“Festivals serve as an excellent way to cultivate harmony within a community and appreciate the many cultures that make up our state,” he said.
“I encourage everyone to go along.”
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley also welcomed the event’s return.
“Living Together Festival is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the Hunter’s rich and vibrant multicultural community,” she said.
Free electric bus shuttles will run to the event throughout the day from Toronto, Croudace Bay and Glendale, while cyclists will also be welcomed with a free bike valet service.
Living Together Festival is supported by the NSW Government. It is part of the Living Smart Festival event weekend.
Go to lakemac.com.au for more information and a full event program.