Cyclone Lam Recovery Concert

This project aimed to create a significant cultural event which would help to rebuild and strengthen community belonging after the devastating impacts of Cyclone Lam in 2015.  The project was designed to celebrate local First Nations culture and create a time for collective mourning, and sharing in hopes and dreams for the future. 

This project was created through collaboration between the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation, the Galiwin’ku Healthy Lifestyle Committee and the Red Cross, in partnership with a number of local performing arts and music groups across the Elcho Island community.  

This project was designed via collaboration with the local First Nations community to serve their needs and wishes to support their recovery from the impacts of Cyclone Lam.

Two concerts with performances from 10 local bands were presented across two evenings. There was also a kids’ disco and small-scale festival activities which were organised by Ngalkanbuy Clinic. The concerts also paid tribute to Dr Gumbula, a Yolngu elder and musician who recently passed away. 

A mentoring project funded by the Red Cross supported 11 young people to work alongside their elders, Aboriginal Health Workers, professional musicians, technicians and others to organise all aspects of the Festival. The Festival Committee identified several new members to mentor for the following year and 3 emerging MC/presenters were mentored for future concerts and events.

The concerts gave the Festival and Health Workers the chance to spread healthy lifestyle messages and reinforce health information to the whole community.

“The value for me is the rebuilding of human infrastructure. Of confidence, of a positive outlook, of strengthening relationships. […] And that’s as important as building a house or building a tank or putting in a power grid or all or that physical infrastructure. Human infrastructure’s just as important. There needs to be more support for human infrastructure.”

– Mark Grose, Chair of Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation