ABOUT US
Celebrate Gungahlin takes place on the lands of the Ngunnawal people–traditional owners and custodians of the land for over 60,000 years. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and we celebrate the depth of knowledge that Australia’s first nations people bring to our understanding of the places we now share.
Celebrate Gungahlin celebrates the culture, community spirit and resilience of Gungahlin’s people, community groups, artists and businesses. Uncover new friends and hidden gems in in your local area, deepen your connection to the region and learn to see the place you love and live in a whole new light.
Join us throughout October for a series of themed events that highlight the skills, diversity and strengths of our community. Featuring the best local artists and performers, kids activities, delicious food, and opportunities to connect and have a go with local sporting clubs, community groups and activity providers, there is guaranteed to be something for everyone!
Celebrate Gungahlin is produced by Belco Arts through the Gungahlin Arts program, alongside a collective of organisations who are deeply embedded in the Gungahlin community including, Northside Community Service, Communities at Work and Gungahlin Community Council. It is also supported by a community reference group made up of a diverse range of individuals with a close connection to the Gungahlin community.
Festival Values
Engaging
You want to immerse yourself in the festival. There are opportunities to participate and learn and avenues to connect with other people in the local community and build friendships and networks.
Relevant
The festival celebrates the talents and ideas of local people and the diverse local community sees themselves reflected in the festival activities and programming.
Fun
Everyone at the festival is smiling–performers, presenters, participating organizations and audiences. There is plenty to experience and participate in for people of all ages, abilities and interests.
Inspiring
Audiences, performers and participants leave the festival with new ideas, connections and opportunities for their own creative endeavors.
Inclusive
The festival welcomes everyone and brings the community together. It strives for universal accessibility and to celebrate the diversity of the local community.
history
Celebrate Gungahlin was first initiated in 2015 by the local community with the support of Communities at Work and saw around 5000 people come together to celebrate in the town centre. Two more successful festivals were held in 2016 and 2017 which together saw participation from over 100 community groups and businesses. After this the festival was unable to continue due to development works in the town centre including Light Rail and the Hibberson Street Shared Zone.
With these major projects now complete, Gungahlin Arts came on board to bring Celebrate Gungahlin back to the community in a new COVID-safe multi event form in 2021 — with the support of Communities at Work, Northside Community Service, Gungahlin Community Council, Crace Community Association and Barnardos. The 2022 festival builds on all of this ground work and the festival committee extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the community who has been involved in previous festivals and provided support to bring this new version of the festival to life.
