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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-11-14 Daily Xml
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OZASIA FESTIVAL

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:49): On Monday 24 September I was pleased to represent the Premier (Hon. J. Weatherill) at the OzAsia keynote address and reception. The evening was held at the Adelaide Festival Theatre and it was attended by approximately 350 people, including His Excellency the Governor Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, and many other dignitaries. The Adelaide Festival Centre's OzAsia Festival, established in 2007, is a cultural delight which showcases both traditional and contemporary cultures of Asia. I know that all will agree that since its inception the festival has gone from strength to strength and is now an annual event held in either September or October (dates are dependent on the lunar calendar).

This year's festival was held from 14 to 30 September and included work by artists who identify with Asian heritage in the forms of art, theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts, food and wine, as well as design culture. The festival encourages national and South Australian cultural organisations, performing art groups and companies alike to participate. In particular, the 2012 OzAsia Festival, whilst representing a diverse range of cultures, had an Indian flavour. One of the major highlights was the Australian/Indian collaboration 'Fearless Nadia'.

This particular group will also be travelling to India this month as part of Oz Fest. The Australian government joins 24 government, business, institutional and production partners to present Oz Fest, the biggest Australian cultural festival ever staged in India. The keynote address on the evening was titled 'More than Meets the Eye: Safeguarding Intangible Heritage—Asian Australian Perspectives', and was presented by Professor Amareswar Galla, Director of the International Institute for the Inclusive Museum, Copenhagen, and Professor of World Heritage and Sustainable Development at the University of Split, Croatia.

Professor Galla is rightly described as an Australian citizen who carries with him a fascinating Indo-Australian story and a global reputation for knowledge about human cultural heritage and its relevance to life. I must admit that I was not certain how intangible heritage would be addressed. The Hawke Centre of UniSA, the sponsors for the evening, describes intangible heritage as follows:

Intangible heritage encompasses the expressions and traditions of communities across the world, inherited from ancestors and transmitted to descendants, often through the spoken word and performance. Many of these communities are now represented within our multicultural Australia.

Professor Galla homed in on our sense of identity, and in particular how it is transmitted from generation to generation, and told the audience of his earlier work in the Aboriginal community. Professor Galla is a former director of sustainable heritage development programs at the ANU. With so many communities represented in our multicultural society I agree with the Hawke Centre that it is important for all of us to acknowledge and engage in that intangible heritage, often through the spoken word and performance, as indeed it has been for generations.

The Moon Lantern Festival at Elder Park is held on the final night of the OzAsia Festival to celebrate the full moon. Celebrations are steeped in the thousand year Chinese tradition, which is held throughout Asia and beyond. The Moon Festival coincides with the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, traditionally known as the Asian mid-autumn harvest. This year some 20,000 people of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds attended the Moon Festival, culminating with a spectacular moon lantern parade at dusk, with a fireworks finale. The ABC was involved this year with the Origami Lotus Project, where people are encouraged to get involved with an origami installation on the evening. In an opinion piece, Douglas Gautier, CEO and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival Centre, wrote:

Held annually the OzAsia Festival is the only large national event devoted exclusively to exploring links between Australia and the diverse cultures of our Asian neighbours. It is part of the effort to keep the festival state punching above its weight and showing national leadership in cultural and civic initiatives.

I should mention that the very talented musicians from Silk Road provided another aspect of entertainment on the evening. In conclusion, I particularly acknowledge Elizabeth Ho, the Director of the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, and thank all the participants, volunteers and visitors on a fantastic and ever-growing celebrated event. I look forward to OzAsia 2013.

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