Welcome Home Birdgirl

Join us on Sunday 6th September as we welcome Birdgirl with a homecoming show, after her solo 3,500km walk from Perth to Melbourne, in aid of ‘Access for the Arts’ awareness and fundraising mission. Birdgirl has been on an epic 3,125km journey across Australia by foot. Starting in May, Birdgirl has been walking from Perth to Melbourne solo and camping out along the way, raising awareness and access to the arts in Australia. Access to the arts should be a right not a privilege, and with this strong belief she will be raising funds for Grow the Music and Slamtidote Inc. Grow the Music is a social enterprise that brings musical equipment, education and mentorship to Indigenous communities, as well as people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Through their work they have donated over 1,000 instruments to regional and remote communities, built 8 dedicated band rooms, hosted workshops for over 20,000 people, recorded over 3,000 songs with over 500 artists, many of which include endangered language and important stories for cultural preservation. Slamtidote is a Not-For-Profit Incorporated Association focused on bringing poetry & music to ethnic, femme and queer communities around Naarm (Melbourne) as well as creative + life skills workshops. As part of their initiative to provide pathways to music for disadvantaged communities, Grow The Music are encouraging donations of playable musical instruments. Those that wish to donate can purchase a $10 donation ticket in order to register their details & intention to bring an instrument. On the night bring these with you to be stored in a dedicated space - from there the instruments will be distributed through community initiatives including remote and regional areas. The event will feature performances from SHANE HOWARD (of Goanna, "Solid Rock"), BIRDGIRL, I. Rugumba, Bart Willoughby, Cath Rutten & the Obvious Choice. There will also be a short documentary screening of Birdgirl's wild road adventure + Q&A panel: the why, the highs, and the hard days of the walk + Live poetry from Slamtidote poets + Speakers from Grow the Music You can read more about Birdgirl’s walk across Australia here and follo