A Taste of Broome to celebrate local Indigenous women

This year's A Taste Of Broome (ATOB) will celebrate the role of local Indigenous women in the creation of the community's identity through pearling and the town’s cultural development. 

You can hear their stories and walk with us hand in hand as together we experience the journey of Broome’s history as seen through the eyes of her mothers, sisters and daughters. We'll also learn more about their heartbreak of loss and suffering, through to their joys at seeing family return home after long dives' away.

The event, now in its fourth year, has quickly become a highlight of the Broome tourism calendar with three nights of festivities scheduled across July, August and September in 2016. The first night of celebration is on Friday 1 July.

ATOB continues to be a unique music and picture show experience that combines Broome's distinctive Indigenous culture and its multicultural community to promote its vibrant soul through music, dance, food, arts and crafts, tradition and heritage.

Building on the success of the 2015 event, this year's ATOB will not only celebrate local women but will also feature a number of new performances, artists and cuisine.

Goolarri Media Enterprises Chief Operations officer Kira Fong says ATOB continues to promote Broome's unique lifestyle and cultural history, and is the region's premier Indigenous arts event.

"ATOB is an award-winning multi-arts performance and cuisine-based project, primarily focused on the unique multiculturalism within the community of Broome and the Indigenous heritage and culture inherent in the region," Kira says. 

"It combines the performing arts mediums of dance, music and film to create a dynamic and rich production that celebrates Broome's identity. 

The 2016 ATOB season will see’s Guy Ghouse taking over from Stephen Pigram as Creative Director. Guy’s history in Broome started when he was 13 years old, watching bands perform at the Roebuck Hotel. Guy has since studied at the WA Academy of Performing Arts, toured nationally and internationally, is a four-time WAMI award winner, producer, recording artist, educator and facilitator.

“To be back in Broome is an honour and a chance to give back to the town that has taught me so much,” Guy says.

A number of other acclaimed artists are taking part in this year's show including long time favourites Stephen “Baamba” Albert, Naomi Pigram, Bojesse Pigram, Lorrae Coffin, Susie Quicke, Tania Mckenna, Arnhem Hunter and Mick Stevens. And some incredible new talent including Emma Sibosado and Pauline Bin Sali who come from a family who’s pearling history runs back to the hard hat days of the old Luggers.

Pauline’s song “Visions” is completely memorising and tells the tales of old, paying homage to the days before social media and digital connection, where people saw loved ones disappear into the horizon with no contact until they eventually returned, if at all they did.

This year there will also be a new food stall called "Little Feed", which will feature delicious desserts made from locally collected bush foods.

A Taste of Broome is supported by Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program, which is funded by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions. Local partnerships have been developed with the Broome Visitor Centre and Australia’s North West with state partnerships including the Department of Communities through the Social Enterprise Fund. This funding and support has allowed the continued training and employment for Indigenous people through event management and media and further strengthens connection between industry and community.

Since the show's beginning in 2013, A Taste of Broome continues to achieve greater social, cultural and economic fulfilment, and prosperity.

People agree that the show improved their understanding of Indigenous culture and Broome’s history, and an impressive 100 per cent of people say they would recommend the event to others.

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TICKETS SALE INFO: For ticket information head to www.atasteofbroome.com.au

 MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Kira Fong at kira.fong@gme.com.au or (08) 9195 5313