Walking Together at Garma Festival 2025
Walking Together at Garma Festival 2025
There are few places as significant as Yolŋu Country in northeast Arnhem Land, and few gatherings as powerful as the Garma Festival. In August 2025, four Orange Sky team members including Orange Sky Co-Founder and CEO, Lucas Patchett, and Senior Impact Manager (First Nations Communities), Judith Meiklejohn, were honoured to travel there for the Festival’s 25th anniversary – an unforgettable opportunity to listen, learn and share in culture.
Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, Garma is recognised as Australia’s largest First Nation’s cultural gathering – a powerful convergence of ceremony, music, art, education and dialogue. It’s a place where truth-telling is encouraged, where difficult conversations about our shared history are paired with optimism about the future, and where culture is celebrated in its fullest expression.
The 25th anniversary was a milestone year. Over four days, thousands of people gathered at Gulkula, the traditional meeting ground of the Gumatj clan, to take part in daily Bunggul (ceremonial dance), panels, the youth forum, art exhibitions and music performances under the stars. There was a strong sense of both pride and purpose – a recognition of how far the festival has come and a determination to use its platform to drive change.
This year marked Orange Sky’s third time attending Garma. Our contribution was meaningful: keeping the festival community supplied with fresh laundry.
66 of these for Women’s Healing Space, 36 for Yolngu community members and 1 load for the Garma Cafe.
The Women’s Healing Space is a women’s-only place where visitors can experience traditional healing practices shared by Yolŋu women, and it was a privilege to support them once again. For local community members, having the chance to wash clothes and bedding during a busy few days offers a small but meaningful comfort, freeing up time and energy for meaningful comfort.
Our work also sparked conversations with people from other remote communities we work alongside, such as Wadeye and Maningrida, who were excited to see us there. That recognition – “We know Orange Sky!” – is always a humbling acknowledgement of our work especially when we are in such remote areas.
Garma reminded us of why partnering in communities matters so deeply. When our local team members roll up in an orange van, we’re not just providing a place for people to wash – we’re creating a space for connection. And those conversations, whether in a remote community or at a major cultural festival, are where trust begins. We worked hard in 2025 to drive meaningful change towards reconciliation but know there is a lot more to do.
Listen, learn and lean in
Lucas Patchett
I stood among the crowd to hear passionate speeches from First Nations leaders who spoke about the path forward after the 2023 Referendum, the importance of truth-telling, how international Human Rights can be applied to Closing the Gap initiatives and other circumstances, and the importance of amplifying positive actions and achievements. The youth forum was particularly inspiring – young voices talking about the power of conversations they had over their short time at Garma.
In the afternoons, the Bunggul dance ground came alive. I joined the crowd (and even a couple of times joined the dancing) as performers from different communities shared stories through song and movement. The evenings brought music from performers such as Xavier Rudd, Emily Wurramara and the legendary Yothu Yindi, each performance a reminder of how art and culture carry history and hope in equal measure.
Panels and discussions covered a wide range of topics – from climate action and decarbonisation targets to joint decision-making models and the urgent need for health equity. What struck me most was the balance between optimism and reality: the determination to push forward while acknowledging the challenges in so many areas. This was underscored by the Closing the Gap Report released that week, showing only 4 out of 19 targets were on track to be met.
Whilst there were inspiring speakers, incredible experiences – it was being on Country that proved the most powerful – appreciating the land, the ocean and the people who have cared for this land for millennia – who continue to, and who so graciously welcome and share their culture and place with us all.
Not about us without us
Judith Meiklejohn
Senior Impact Manager (First Nations Communities), Orange Sky
Board Member, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF)
With many years of working alongside First Nations communities through Orange Sky, I know there are many strong leaders and knowledge holders within the community. Garma reinforced what should be undeniable – across clans, regions and states, First Nations leaders hold the solutions and the drive for change.
In the words of a First Nations leader “it’s not about us, without us and we believe this must be at the centre of change.” Real progress will only come when communities have true choice and control, and when allies listen, amplify, and back community-led solutions.
Yet inequities remain stark. Too many basics are still out of reach in remote communities, and while change has been achieved over years, the pace is far too slow. The referendum outcome must not be a reason for complacency. First Nations peoples will continue to lead, and our role as allies remains to to walk alongside with humility, respect and commitment.
I am grateful to have listened and learned from so many voices at Garma. Time and again, I learnt how sustainability depends on listening to community and practical action; supporting partnerships with community-controlled organisations, driven by trusted local leadership; and grounded in wellbeing priorities set by communities themselves.
Reflections and Looking Ahead with Hope
Being at Garma was both inspiring and humbling.
As an organisation, Orange Sky is still early in our reconciliation journey; however, we were grateful for the kindness, care, friendship and generosity at Garma.
We took away many lessons and reminders:
- The speed of trust – genuine connection takes time and cannot be rushed.
- Not about us without us – a principle that must underpin all our work with communities.
- Cultural understanding – this must be embedded in every layer of our organisation, from policies and partnerships to service delivery.
- Responsibility plus opportunity equals capability – words from our friend Fiona Jose, and the Theory of Change for the work she leads at Cape York Partnerships, reminding us that we all share responsibility in creating an equitable future.
We also left with a long list of resources to help us continue to listen, lean in and learn.
Garma reminded us why this work matters so deeply. When an orange van rolls into a community, it is never just about washing clothes and bedding. It is about creating a space for connection. Those conversations, whether on a remote red-dirt road or at a major cultural festival, are where trust begins.
We have taken important steps along our “Reconciliation Path” in 2025, but we know there is still much more to do. Our vision is of an Australia where reconciliation is evident in equitable health and social outcomes, where First Peoples’ cultures are celebrated, and where our shared history is acknowledged. In our context, that means recognising the disproportionate rates of homelessness experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and ensuring our services are equitable, accessible and culturally safe.
As we look to FY26, we do so with gratitude and determination. We thank the Yothu Yindi Foundation for welcoming us back to Yolŋu Country for Garma’s 25th anniversary and for the opportunity to learn from incredible leaders. Orange Sky will continue walking alongside First Nations peoples and communities, strengthening partnerships, growing our services, and supporting better outcomes across the country.
