Photos: STYLIN’ UP 2009
- May 30th, 2009
- By Francis Phamnguyen
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30th of May, 2009
Inala,
QLD, Australia
Australia’s largest Indigenous owned Youth, Music and Cultural festival, Brisbane’s own Stylin’UP is back for 2009. Bigger and better than ever, Sat May 30th@ CJ Greenfields Sports Complex, Inala will see Jessica Mauboy headline what promises to be Stylin’UP’s biggest line up to date.
Stylin’ Up was started 9 years ago as a local initiative by Inala community elders to instil their youth with ‘Pride in Self, Pride in Community, Pride in Culture’. From it’s humble beginning’s, the growth of the event has been nothing short of staggering. Now a nationally applauded cultural festival, recent years have seen attendance numbers average between fifteen to twenty thousand, with attendees hailing from Inala, Brisbane, regional Qld and indeed, from all across the country.
But one of Stylin’ UP’s key strength’s also lies in the fact that it is recognised Australia wide as an award winning contemporary Indigenous creative development program. The event is produced with and for young people in Brisbane and across Queensland as a celebration of youth and contemporary culture.
One core ingredient of Stylin’UP is it’s extensively integrated workshop program’s which take two forms. The first are run through schools and communities in the Brisbane metropolitan area for 3 to 4 months leading into the festival and culminate in festival performances and activities. The second are ongoing, all year round workshop program’s held right across regional Queensland. Though wider reaching with more extensive outcomes, regional programs similarly culminate in festival performances and activities.Stylin’ UP boasts a proud history of combining Australia’s finest Indigenous Hip Hop and R&B artists alongside internationally-recognised headliners a host of local and national emerging acts. The Stylin’UP ‘Emerging Artist’ line up provides artists from Inala, Queensland and Australia at large, with the opportunity to express themselves and raise their profile on a national level. ‘Emerging Artists’ perform alongside the nationally-established and internationally-recognised musicians in a program designed to nurture the next generation of Indigenous talent.
One of this years headlining acts Impossible Odds are a perfect example. Performing as emerging artists 2 years ago, Impossible Odds went on to win the 2007 ‘Speak, Indigenous Hip Hop Competition’ category of the John Butler Seed Award. More recently, last week saw their new single added to triple J spot rotation. Rolling on from there – the 2008 ‘Speak, Indigenous Hip Hop Competition’ category of the John Butler Seed Award last year was won by Inala’s own Indigenous Intrudaz – stalwarts of Stylin’ Up. A myriad of cultural and community events will take place alongside the music stage and offer a mix of performances and activities that showcase the talent of the local community. Stylin’UP will include Contemporary and Traditional Dance, Dance Competitions, Food and Drink Stalls, Arts and Craft Stalls, Free Rides, and an all day Basketball Competition.
The Stylin’ UP festival is a drug and alcohol free event presented by the Inala Stylin’ UP Community Crew in partnership with the Brisbane City Council.
