Archie Roach announces Ruby Hunter Award
Archie Roach - photo credit James Morris for Baked
Australian music icon, Archie Roach has announced the Ruby Hunter Award. This award is designed to support emerging first nations female artists, with the award set to be announced on Friday night on the Archie Roach Foundation Stage, at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. Ruby Hunter was an acclaimed songwriter and performer, who used music to champion the rights of Aboriginal women, so it is fitting the award recipient will also score artist mentoring sessions with some of this country’s most recognised First Nations women in music, as well as a $5,000 cash prize.
“I am very proud to be able to announce this inaugural Ruby Hunter Award - it will help fulfil Ruby’s vision to support and nurture young emerging female artists. It’s great that the first recipient will be a young Ngarrindjeri woman.”
A Maar Nation Elder, Archie is extremely proud to launch The Archie Roach Foundation (ARF) stage on Peek Whurrong country in south west Victoria this weekend, at the Port Fairy Folk Festival. Archie explains the importance and cultural significance of the Maar Nation community sharing culture which has existed for well over sixty thousand years with the Port Fairy Folk Festival audiences. “For me personally, it’s huge! I was taken away as a child from my mother’s country when I was just two years old. To return to my community and be able to present our culture on the ARF Stage would not have happened if I had not found my way back to my people. I feel honoured that the ARF stage will be at this year's Port Fairy Folk Festival and I am most excited to showcase Eastern Maar culture and all the up and coming artists that will be performing on stage.”
Curated by Archie and members of the Maar Nation, the stage shines the spotlight on both emerging and established First Nations musicians from across Australia. It will showcase a series of community-led traditional dance, art and songwriting workshops, curated conversations, storytelling, yarning circles and more. Hear Kutcha Edwards, Emma Donovan, The Merindas, Shellie Morris, Amos Roach, Kee’ahn, Lee Morgan, JALGANY, MARLON X RULLA, The Singing Our Futures Collective, J-MILLA and Black Rock Band. The stage will also host a live 'Kitchen Table Yarn' with Archie and some very special young guests, with the yarn set to be posted on Archie’s YouTube channel as episode 7 of his online ‘Kitchen Table Yarns’ series. “I love the Kitchen Table Yarns and the opportunity to do it on the ARF stage will give people a better idea of what it's all about,” says Archie. “And I am looking forward to seeing my young guests face to face as the online Kitchen Table Yarns came into being during COVID when we could not go anywhere.”
The Archie Roach Foundation stage is proudly supported by the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund – an Australian Government initiative. Head to https://portfairyfolkfestival.com/tickets/ for information.
