Cultural training day with Community Partner YRACA

At Experience Gold Coast (EGC), we aim to continually grow and expand our knowledge of First Nations people and culture. On 16^th November 2023, our events team embarked on a transformative cultural training day at HOTA, Home of the Arts, delivered by our Community Partner, Yugambeh Regional Aboriginal Corporation Alliance (YRACA).

This experience was the second installment in a series of cultural training sessions designed to enhance our awareness, understanding, and appreciation of Indigenous places, people, customs, and culture.

The day unfolded with a series of engaging workshops, each led by passionate and knowledgeable Indigenous facilitators. In Workshop 1, Caleb Hall, a proud Kuku Yalanji descendant, guided our staff through a Yarning Circle, offering insights into hunting and gathering practices, lore and customs, artifacts, bush tucker, and medicinal plant uses. The session also featured a spear throwing challenge, allowing our team to try their hand at traditional hunting skills.

In Workshop 2, Lalania Tusa, another Kuku Yalanji descendant, delved into the cultural significance of traditional art symbols, stories, colours, and totems in both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Participants had the opportunity to create seeded jewellery, gaining an understanding of its traditional use by First Nations People in connection to land and sea. The workshop also featured ochre face painting, adding a vibrant touch to our cultural exploration.

The third Workshop, led by Zhane Osborne-James, a Saibai Island community member, offered a hands-on experience in Torres Strait Islander weaving. Participants learned about the lifestyle and ways of the Torres Strait Islander people while creating traditional weaved fish to take home as a lasting memento of the day.

The culmination of our cultural training journey was an all-in group activity led by Craig Williams, a Yugambeh Descendant. Craig introduced the EGC events team to Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games, with a fun game of ‘Thepan’ providing a lively and enjoyable platform for friendly competition, served with a side of traditional diplomacy among colleagues!

Our team also had the pleasure of sampling a light 'bush tucker' morning tea, enjoying delicious native Australian flavours such as lemon myrtle shortbread and damper with macadamia butter.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to YRACA for facilitating this unforgettable experience and for generously sharing their cultural knowledge with our events team. The day was a testament to the power of cultural exchange and the importance of continuing to build bridges of understanding and appreciation within our community.