Stylin' UP Returns For It's 10th Year

Saturday May 29 @ CJ Greenfields Sports Complex, Inala

Pride in SELF / Pride in COMMUNITY / Pride in CULTURE

Australia's largest Indigenous youth music and cultural festival Stylin' UP returns for 2010 for its TENTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY. 2010 will feature a deadly line up of some of the best local and national talent nurtured by Stylin UP over the last 10 years. The festival was established in 2001 by local Inala elders in partnership with Brisbane City Council as a way of instilling their youth with pride in themselves, their community and their culture.

It now attracts crowds from across Queensland in excess of 15 000 each year, and has grown to become Australia's largest Indigenous Hip Hop and R&B music and dance event that celebrates youth and contemporary Indigenous culture.

Produced with and for young people in Brisbane and across Queensland, Stylin' Up is also an award winning, nationally lauded contemporary Indigenous creative arts development program (winning the 2004 Premier of QLD award and the National Reconciliation Award in 2008). One of Stylin UP's key outcomes has been the fostering of a mutual respect between the South West Brisbane corridor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and the Brisbane City Council. The collaboration has been declared a rare success, because of its long term commitment to the community and reconciliation.

Kelvin Lui (Project Officer from Inala elders and Community member) explains, “Such collaboration between Indigenous community and government is rare. Stylin UP has worked because it wasn't a one off, it has been a commitment to the long term and ultimately - a positive step towards reconciliation and connecting young people to peace and long term resolution.”

Stylin' Up's mantra Pride in SELF / Pride in COMMUNITY / Pride in CULTURE, emphasises its commitment to young Indigenous people to take a positive step towards personal and social change, which ultimately contributes to community change. Stylin UP has been developed within a community development framework including a large workshop program facilitated by leading local artists in the run up to the event each year. The workshops run in local schools in the South West Brisbane Corridor as well as through a regional program facilitated by Human Ventures. These workshop programs nurture the next generation of artists as well as passing on the inherent values of Stylin UP no shame - step up and be proud; represent your culture and your community.

Stylin' UP breaks down the barriers between community and police and community and government and encourages young indigenous people to step up and grab opportunities and engage themselves in them.

Music



Though not exclusively a music festival, Stylin’Up combines some of Australia’s finest Indigenous Hip Hop and R&B acts alongside a host of local and national emerging acts, providing Indigenous youth throughout the Inala district and greater Queensland, the power and support to express themselves artistically on a national level.

Over the last ten years headliners have included Jessica Mauboy, Christine Anu, Savage, Last Kinection and many many more. This is combined with the aforementioned 'emerging artist' line up, many of whom have gone on to become headliners in their own right. Examples include locals Indigenous Intrudaz - 2 local Inala MC's with a massive local following who have grown up alongside Stylin' UP playing every gig in its 10 year history."Stylin’ Up is basically like Christmas for us in Inala" laughs Indigenous Intrudaz MC Damien Bani. Indigenous Intrudaz won the won JB Seed Grant in 2008 and have just finished recording an album at the prestigious 301 Studios. Damien Bani also works as a producer on Stylin’ UP, one of his tasks is implementing the ‘emerging artist’ line up. Fellow Intruder MC Dougie Patrick also facilitates local Stylin’ Up workshops.

Other examples are fellow locals Banawurun, who took out the 2006 Deadly Award for Band of the Year and Impossible Odds - emerging artists in 2007, Impossible Odds have since gone onto have a number of tracks receive high rotation on triple J.

The Inala Community through the Stylin'Up Community Crew decide who performs at Stylin' Up each year. Their mantra in 2010 has been to support the local Inala and Queensland talent to shine for The 10th year anniversary Stylin' Up. The program this year will see many key performers from previous years asked to return celebrate and showcase their success.

Workshops

The Stylin’UP program also consists of an extensive workshop program. Workshop’s run for four to 6 months leading up to the festival in Brisbane and the South West Brisbane corridor, and year round throughout key regional Queensland Indigenous communities, including Logan, Cherbourg, Hopevale and Woorabinda.

The workshop process is an integral part of Stylin' Up. Amongst many other things, it provides young people with routine through rehearsals and places an emphasis upon the importance of process and skill development. Nurturing and empowering the next generation.

Music and Dance: Workshops in Music creation, beat production, lyric writing, streetfunk, breakdance and performance technique.

Ladeez Business: A program of arts, cultural and skills development workshops, specifically for young women. These workshops create a safe environment for young women to explore and express, develop identities and community solutions through culturally appropriate arts and cultural forms.

Little Ladies: Specifically targeted at young Indigenous girls aged 4 – 11 and their families who live in and around the Inala region.

Traditional Dance: Workshops for young children years 1 – 7 in traditional dance, food and cultural practices.

Dancing

Dancing, both contemporary and traditional, is a massive part of Stylin' UP. There are a multitude of performances and competitions right throughout the day. Workshops run prior to the event culminate in on the day performances. Whilst traditional dance groups feature alongside contemporary dance - many groups also incorporating unique qualities of their traditional dance in to contemporary dance formats.

Community

Ultimately – though now of national significance, Stylin UP is all about community. The Stylin UP community crew, who run the event, is open to all community members to attend. All posters and event artwork is designed by young local indigenous artists, T shirts are printed by local manufacturers and performers are chosen by community groups.

A myriad of cultural and community events take place alongside the music stage and offer a mix of performances and activities that showcase the talent of the local community. Stylin’UP include’s Contemporary and Traditional Dance, Dance Competitions, Food and Drink Stalls, Arts and Craft Stalls, Free Rides, Basketball and much more.

PI Boyz - 'Aboriginal Justice' (Radio Mix) by HeapsaWill