1
00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,080
Speaker 1: I always love hearing about fantastic events happening around the

2
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,280
Speaker 1: Northern Territory. And joining me in the studio right now

3
00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,119
Speaker 1: is Ben Gratz. He is the curator of the sugar

4
00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,600
Speaker 1: Bag Festival. Good morning to you, Ben.

5
00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,680
Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you wonderful?

6
00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,680
Speaker 1: As always? What is the sugar Bag Fest?

7
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,080
Speaker 2: Sugar Bag Festival? Look, this is the inaugural festival starting

8
00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,160
Speaker 2: this Friday, and sugar Bag is all about it's an

9
00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,360
Speaker 2: inclusive arts and cultural festival that celebrates diversity, inclusion and

10
00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:32,959
Speaker 2: bringing our community together. It sounds like.

11
00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,080
Speaker 1: It's going to be a lot of fun. Is it

12
00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,600
Speaker 1: just sort of happening this weekend or how long is

13
00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:38,120
Speaker 1: it running for?

14
00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:40,919
Speaker 2: So the inaugural festival is happening this weekend, so from

15
00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,720
Speaker 2: Friday the third until Sunday the fifth of June because

16
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,640
Speaker 2: they March then June. But we are planning on doing

17
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,040
Speaker 2: various events with sugar Bag throughout the year because I

18
00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,000
Speaker 2: think it's important for community to be able to come together,

19
00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:55,760
Speaker 2: you know, have a safe place for our rainbow community

20
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,720
Speaker 2: to be together. Yeah, I reckon it's a great idea.

21
00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:00,760
Speaker 1: So what kind of what can be expect?

22
00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,160
Speaker 2: Well, look, this Friday we're starting at the Darwin Entertainment

23
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,360
Speaker 2: Center and we have the preview of We the People,

24
00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,560
Speaker 2: which is a photographic exhibition with Terse Richie. And Therese Richie,

25
00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:14,880
Speaker 2: all a lot of territories will know, is an award

26
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,360
Speaker 2: winning photographer and we're so lucky to have Therese Richie

27
00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,240
Speaker 2: that worked with Top End Pride as well. And we've

28
00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,440
Speaker 2: got portraites of over twenty different people from community and

29
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,440
Speaker 2: they're all in different kind of you know, showing the

30
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,720
Speaker 2: different personalities in the different aspects. And so that's in

31
00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,480
Speaker 2: the gallery. And then we open with Queerly Beloved, which

32
00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:37,160
Speaker 2: is a night of storytelling hosted by Lisa Pellegrino. Oh.

33
00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,000
Speaker 2: I love that and having stories with our queer community.

34
00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,640
Speaker 2: But also there's going to be performances and a really

35
00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:47,319
Speaker 2: great night getting to know local territorians and their story

36
00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,320
Speaker 2: and what makes it so unique about living in Darwin

37
00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,000
Speaker 2: and being connected to this place. And I will say

38
00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,080
Speaker 2: that we've got it full of events. We also have

39
00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,680
Speaker 2: some workshops, We've got a sunset tea party on the

40
00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,280
Speaker 2: Esplanade on the Saturday, but we also have an incredible international,

41
00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,400
Speaker 2: two spirited film called Wildhood, which is going to be

42
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,560
Speaker 2: played at Magnet in the Maritime Lawn. And what makes

43
00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,520
Speaker 2: this unique, Katie, is that we're screening the film on

44
00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,720
Speaker 2: the back of a semi trailer with northern lights MT

45
00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,600
Speaker 2: How amazing. So you can bring bring your picnic blanket,

46
00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:23,400
Speaker 2: sit under the stars and watch this incredible film on

47
00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,920
Speaker 2: the back of a semi trailer. It's an award winning

48
00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:28,240
Speaker 2: international film from Canada. So that's going to be one

49
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,760
Speaker 2: of our you know, incredible events. But lots of events

50
00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:33,720
Speaker 2: happening over the next three days. And you know it's

51
00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:39,639
Speaker 2: a dry season, so well apparently it's a dry season. Well,

52
00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,399
Speaker 2: actually we've got it. We've got a mural that's been painted.

53
00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,919
Speaker 2: We're partnering with Darwin Street Art Festival and Caffeine, who

54
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,600
Speaker 2: is in a renowned lgbch i q a plus artist,

55
00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,960
Speaker 2: is painting a mural on Litchfield Street for us.

56
00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:54,919
Speaker 1: So when's that happening.

57
00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,359
Speaker 2: It's happening right now, so that should be ready by

58
00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,120
Speaker 2: the weekend. But we're asking people to go down and

59
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,120
Speaker 2: say hello to Caffeen. She's an internationally acclaimed mural artist

60
00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,160
Speaker 2: and has done a lot of the work with Darwin

61
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,560
Speaker 2: Street Art, including Shaniqua Yep, the big one of Shaniqua. Yes,

62
00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,880
Speaker 2: but yeah, go and say hi to Caffeine, but make

63
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:12,520
Speaker 2: sure you check it out because it's going to be

64
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,520
Speaker 2: an incredible weekend celebrating inclusion and diversity, and it's for everyone,

65
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,920
Speaker 2: like allies, you know, the Rainbow community, everyone that loves

66
00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,080
Speaker 2: to come together and celebrate our diversities.

67
00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,600
Speaker 1: Then you are an incredibly busy person. A lot of

68
00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,160
Speaker 1: people listening will be thinking to themselves, goodness me. Then

69
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,079
Speaker 1: you're curating a whole other event. What made you, you know,

70
00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,000
Speaker 1: what made you want to do the sugar Bag Festival.

71
00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:39,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think that obviously. I'm really passionate about

72
00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,320
Speaker 2: arts and culture and the creative sector, and having grown

73
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,480
Speaker 2: up in Darwin, Darwin's my home. I really love it.

74
00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,040
Speaker 2: You know, my parents are born here, we have a

75
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:49,600
Speaker 2: long history. But I had to go away and study

76
00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,960
Speaker 2: to become an actor in the creative sector, and I

77
00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,760
Speaker 2: always wanted to come back and exchange, you know, teach

78
00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,360
Speaker 2: my skills back here in Darwin, my hometown. So arts

79
00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:02,160
Speaker 2: and culture has always been a really big part of

80
00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,440
Speaker 2: my life and I'm really passionate about it. So we

81
00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,520
Speaker 2: decided that, you know, the two passions that I love

82
00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,320
Speaker 2: as you know, being a part of the Rainbow community,

83
00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,160
Speaker 2: but also the arts and cultural sectors. So I thought,

84
00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,560
Speaker 2: let's combine the two and work with people that we

85
00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,440
Speaker 2: really love and have a festival that not only happens

86
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,360
Speaker 2: this weekend, but as mentioned, will happen throughout the year

87
00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:19,880
Speaker 2: as well.

88
00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,240
Speaker 1: So it is wonderful and I think it's wonderful to

89
00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:24,960
Speaker 1: see events like these happening in the Northern Territory. But

90
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:29,520
Speaker 1: you are also set to head away. You are going, well,

91
00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,160
Speaker 1: you're going overseas in a couple of weeks. Aren't you

92
00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:34,800
Speaker 1: going to Sydney first? And then you're going overseas? Tell

93
00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:35,720
Speaker 1: me what you're working on.

94
00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,160
Speaker 2: So I'm going over seas for a holiday, Yes, that's right, Yeah,

95
00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,960
Speaker 2: thank you. But I'm also working on I'm one of

96
00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:46,160
Speaker 2: the creative festival directors for Sydney World Pride. So Sydney

97
00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,600
Speaker 2: World Pride is happening in February March next year, and

98
00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,400
Speaker 2: it's the first World Pride to take place in the

99
00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:57,039
Speaker 2: Southern Hemisphere. So it's huge. It's a seventeen day program,

100
00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,800
Speaker 2: it's you know, over four hundred events and there'll be

101
00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,360
Speaker 2: people coming from overseas, locally nationally to be a part

102
00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,120
Speaker 2: of this event. So basically people ask what is World Pride,

103
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,160
Speaker 2: and I say, look, it's like Sydney game has been

104
00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,520
Speaker 2: Mardi Gras, but on steroids.

105
00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:13,159
Speaker 1: It's going to be crazy.

106
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,280
Speaker 2: It's going to be crazy. So all the Mardi Gras

107
00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:18,159
Speaker 2: events are there as well, but Sidney World Pride is

108
00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,320
Speaker 2: going to be having an incredible event full of beautiful

109
00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,000
Speaker 2: things for everyone to come and join that as well.

110
00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,040
Speaker 2: So the Mardi Gras Parade will happen. But we've got

111
00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,680
Speaker 2: a party at Bondo Beach, closing down Bondo Beach, having

112
00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,640
Speaker 2: a party, closing the Sydney Harbor Bridge and doing a

113
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:35,440
Speaker 2: Pride march across the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We've got an

114
00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,680
Speaker 2: opening and closing celebration, human rights conference, just to name

115
00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,960
Speaker 2: a few. So what's it like for you?

116
00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,200
Speaker 1: It's so busy. But talking about you, I mean you

117
00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,440
Speaker 1: and I worked together many years ago when you launched

118
00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,640
Speaker 1: the Garamaluma Festival. That's quite some time ago. You are

119
00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,359
Speaker 1: a proud Indigenous man, united trained. You have done so

120
00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,800
Speaker 1: much over the last few years. What is it like

121
00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,080
Speaker 1: for you then, as a territory boy going off and

122
00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,800
Speaker 1: working on such huge events like this and really, you

123
00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,479
Speaker 1: know you must feel so incredibly proud to represent the

124
00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:08,839
Speaker 1: Northern Territory in that way.

125
00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,719
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie. And you know I'm such a huge advocate

126
00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:14,840
Speaker 2: for the Northern Territory in particularly Darwin. You know, it's

127
00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,200
Speaker 2: got a big place in my heart. But like you've said,

128
00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:20,159
Speaker 2: you know, look, I'm just passionate about our creative sector

129
00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,760
Speaker 2: and particularly about making change through the arts. And you know,

130
00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,320
Speaker 2: I've seen how it can change people. I've seen how

131
00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,480
Speaker 2: it brings people together, particularly through COVID. You know, when

132
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,400
Speaker 2: we couldn't do anything, people turned to radio, they turned

133
00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,520
Speaker 2: to TV, they turned to film, they turned to Netflix

134
00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,680
Speaker 2: and that's all the creative sector. So we play a

135
00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,880
Speaker 2: really important role in our society. And I think for

136
00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,640
Speaker 2: me it's about how I can create change in this

137
00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,479
Speaker 2: world through through what I can do. And you know,

138
00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,479
Speaker 2: doing the things in here in Darwen during the Granmlung

139
00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,600
Speaker 2: Festival with you all those years ago, you know, has

140
00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:53,479
Speaker 2: really set me up to be able to take on

141
00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,480
Speaker 2: these big events and it's taught me the skills. And

142
00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,080
Speaker 2: I'm also learning from Sydney will Pride and I'll bring

143
00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,359
Speaker 2: those skills back to Darwin and you know, hopefully be

144
00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,880
Speaker 2: able to still create incredible big events here. I'm very

145
00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,599
Speaker 2: ambitious and as you've said, you know, I can't sit still. No,

146
00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,000
Speaker 2: you know, I always have to do something, and for me,

147
00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,160
Speaker 2: it's always about my community. It's about my people, first

148
00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,800
Speaker 2: Nations people, but also the Rainbow community and the people

149
00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:18,360
Speaker 2: of the Northern Territory in Darwin.

150
00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,000
Speaker 1: So I love to see it. I feel incredibly proud

151
00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:22,440
Speaker 1: of the work that you do. But I love the

152
00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,200
Speaker 1: way that you know, no matter where around the world

153
00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,280
Speaker 1: that you're working, you always bring it back to the

154
00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,920
Speaker 1: territory as well, which I think is so wonderful. And

155
00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,240
Speaker 1: bringing those events to the territory, you should be really

156
00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:33,280
Speaker 1: happy and proud of yourself.

157
00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,320
Speaker 2: Oh thanks Katie. And you know, look, I am very

158
00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,320
Speaker 2: proud of this place and all the work that's going

159
00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,080
Speaker 2: on here, the events and the creative sector, and you know,

160
00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:41,800
Speaker 2: thanks for all your support, and you know, I look

161
00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,880
Speaker 2: forward to creating many more events. I bet I can't wait.

162
00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,200
Speaker 1: Good on you, Ben, It's always lovely to talk to you.

163
00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:48,720
Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning.

164
00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:49,320
Speaker 2: Thanks Katie.

165
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,080
Speaker 1: Now just very quickly actually before I let you go,

166
00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:53,480
Speaker 1: if anyone wants some further info on the Sugar Bank

167
00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:54,680
Speaker 1: Festival Week. Can they find it?

168
00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,680
Speaker 2: Yeah. Sugar Bank Festival Happening is launching this Friday. You

169
00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,920
Speaker 2: can head to sugar Bank Festival dot com dot Au

170
00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:02,040
Speaker 2: or just stalk us on Instagram and Facebook.

171
00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:03,400
Speaker 1: Good stuff. I love a good stalk.

172
00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:03,720
Speaker 2: Good