Dirty Denim band members Steve Reyes, 15, Sam Carbone, 16, Mayor Shane Sali, Shepparton Arts Festival executive producer Gareth Hart and Samoan dancers Macayan Tuaopepe, 16, and Anniversary Tuaopepe, 11. Front: Dirty Denim band member Gabe Garner, 17, and singer Jonathan Junior.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Converge on the Goulburn is returning to Victoria Park Lake on Saturday, March 21 from 2pm to 4pm.
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Greater Shepparton City Council has partnered with the Shepparton Festival to put on the event, which will feature live performances, activities and a market.
Among the performers will be Macayan Tuaopepe, 16, and Anniversary Tuaopepe, 11, who will be performing traditional Samoan dances with their two sisters.
The Tuaopepe family have been performing at Converge on the Goulburn for over a decade and are excited to come back for this year’s event.
Macayan said she enjoyed “sharing our culture with other people and representing where we are from”.
Her sister said the dances represented stories.
“There’s a meaning to each move,” Anniversary said.
Macayan Tuaopepe, 16, and Anniversary Tuaopepe, 11, are excited to share their culture with the Goulburn Valley community.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
A wide range of workshops will also be available, including multicultural story time, face painting, henna art and creative sessions led by a Yorta Yorta artist and Splinter Contemporary Artists.
Attendees can take part in Activities in the Park craft sessions, enjoy stand-up paddleboarding and pedal boats on the lake, while Connected Circus will host games and circus activities.
The SEDA Group will also be on site with inflatable sports games.
For the first time, the event will include a Makers Market, giving local creators the opportunity to sell handmade items such as jewellery, soaps, candles and other crafts produced by members of the region’s multicultural community. The addition coincides with Cultural Diversity Week, which falls during the festival.
Adding to the program, the Amplify Youth Committee will host a two-hour youth showcase featuring performances by talented young local artists. The committee is currently seeking performers aged 14 to 25 through its Artists Engagement Campaign.
The paid opportunity is open to emerging and aspiring artists working in music, dance, theatre, spoken word and other performance-based art forms. For more information, visit shepp.city/eoi-converge
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