The lineup for First Nations music conference BLAKSOUND has revealed details around its inaugural 2021 lineup, with the virtual event set to take place between September 6-8. The lineup will be co-curated by First Nations musicians Sycco, Jem Cassar-Daley, DOBBY and Loki Liddle, supported and mentored by Alethea Beetson of Digi Youth Arts.
The event will feature a series of online workshops and discussions designed to “elevate, celebrate and represent the voices and perspectives” of First Nations artists and other industry workers. Conversations between important emerging First Nations voices will take place alongside workshops aimed at providing first-hand insights into the industry.
“BLAKSOUND is an opportunity for First Nations youth to talk back and challenge the music industry at large,” commented co-curator Liddle. “It is charged with powerful conversations that will shine a light on the issues we face, and the future we plan to create.”
“BLAKSOUND provides a sovereign platform for conversations that need to be heard by the wider music community,” echoed Beetson in a statement.
The inaugural lineup is lead by artist and keynote speaker Naomi Wenitong, who’ll be joined by the likes of Emily Wurramara, Barkaa, DRMNGNOW and more.
Among the workshops scheduled to run are a Spotify Masterclass that will address navigating the platform as a young First Nations artist, and a virtual networking opportunity for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with Nooky and Karla Ranby, the host and producer of triple j’s First Nations show Blak Out.
BLAKSOUND is free to register for here (with payments options available for those who can) and will be held on the Swapcard platform across the three dates next month. Panels and keynotes will target the wider music industry in the mornings, while workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people will be held in the afternoons.
