6 – 10 August 2010
Gulkula via Nhulunbuy, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

The ancient sound of the yidaki (didgeridu) calls all people to come together in unity; to gather together for the sharing of knowledge and culture, to learn from and to listen to one another. On 6 August 2010, this call will announce the 12th Annual Garma Festival. The Garma festival site at Gulkula is located approximately 40 kilometres from the township of Nhulunbuy.  More than 130 Yolngu are employed or trained at Garma each year.

Regarded as Australia's most significant indigenous cultural exchange event, the Garma Festival attracts clan groups from north east Arnhem Land, and representatives from clan groups and neighbouring indigenous peoples throughout Arnhem Land, the Northern Territory (NT) and Australia.  The key forum theme for this year is ‘Education and Training.

This year, the NT Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) support unit has teamed up with the NT Department of Education and Training and three NT training providers to showcase NT capacity to deliver ‘Learning in the Bush’. The combined display will showcase first hand the capabilities of NT schools and vocational training providers to provide learning opportunities and training to people based in remote locations through face to face and virtual training delivery. Training resources, technologies and career information will be on show.

IS Australia a private training provider in collaboration with Charles Darwin University a public training provider, has deployed its mobile training campus – a road train with three trailers, to the Garma site to deliver construction competencies to local apprentices based in Nhulunbuy. Taminmin College, a school that serves the rural community of the NT, has dispatched its mobile commercial kitchen to the festival site to deliver hospitality competencies to local VET in Schools students.

To follow the NT Framework team at Garma please continue to visit this page.