Alice Springs' Luminous Parrtjima Festival Has Unveiled Its 2019 Program

The festival — now in its fourth year — celebrates Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling.
Libby Curran and Sarah Ward
February 16, 2019

It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which delivers its fourth and most expansive annual program so far between Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 14 — a shift from the event's previous timeslot, moving from spring to autumn.

The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima announced its shift of dates earlier this year, as well as its continued focus on dazzling light installations. Now, the free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling has started to reveal its lineup. In 2019, as well as a closing night performance by Baker Boy, the festival will feature seven luminous displays gracing both Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct and Alice Springs Todd Mall.

While Alice Spring's CBD will light up with new installations and events, just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park will also come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival — and featuring an audio track voiced by Aussie acting legend Aaron Pedersen. Visitors will also be able to immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of the returning Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape.

While Parrtjima's returning slate is strong, new additions to this year's lineup include an illuminated tunnel that'll greet attendees as they enter the festival space, called Angkentye Anpernirrentye-kerte – The Language of Kin; an array of over-sized sculptures that'll relay the social history of First Nations station workers and their language of the land, dubbed Angkentye Stockmen Mape-kenhe – The Language of Stockmen; and a series of sculptured large-scale moths, badged The Language of Moths, which'll brighten up Todd Mall. There'll also be a huge maze for kids and a set-up of three bush taxis displaying works by First Nations artists.

As 2019 is the UN's Year of Indigenous Languages, the festival will also have a linguistic edge — as many of the light installations' names make plain. With a theme of 'Language Expressions', the full program will feature many talks and workshops focused on Central Australia's many Indigenous languages, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.

Also on the bill is jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020.

Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 5–14, 2019 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website.

Images: James Horan.

Published on February 16, 2019 by Libby Curran
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