The ABC takes a leading role this year as the broadcast and educational partner of NAIDOC WEEK, bringing the stories, history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to all Australians.
To mark the first year of the partnership with the National NAIDOC Committee, the ABC will present its biggest slate of Indigenous content across all its platforms to celebrate NAIDOC Week from Sunday 2 July to Sunday 9 July.
Heading the line-up is the live broadcast of the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony from Meanjin Brisbane from 7.30pm (AEST) on Saturday 1 July. The awards will be hosted by the award-winning star of ABC TV’s Mystery Road: Origin, proud Nyikina man, actor, writer, and producer, Mark Coles Smith and multi award-winning singer/songwriter, Casey Donovan. The awards ceremony will also be available for streaming on ABC iview and simulcast on National Indigenous Television (NITV).
Many of the programming highlights across radio, television, online and on social, reflect this year’s NAIDOC Week theme For Our Elders celebrated in conversation and in music.
The Drum host and special correspondent for The Voice referendum Dan Bourchier sits down with Elders across Australia in a special series of One Plus One screening throughout June and July. RN’s Awaye also looks at the contribution of Elders, in conversations with cultural and creative leaders about who has influenced them in their lives.
Other NAIDOC highlights include a children’s collection on ABC ME; a Saturday Night Country special on ABC Radio; an Art Works special on ABC TV and ABC iview; and special editions of rage, The Drum, The Book Show and Back Roads.
The ABC’s Managing Director, David Anderson, said this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations was particularly significant for the corporation as it embarked on a new broadcast and educational partnership with the National NAIDOC Committee.
“The ABC has a long history of covering NAIDOC Week and engaging all Australians in celebrating the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“Each year we have pushed ourselves to improve and increase the range and diversity of our content for this important week.
“I am pleased to say that in 2023 we have one of the strongest slates of programs and content we have ever produced, giving voice to Indigenous people across the nation, especially around this year’s theme For Our Elders.
“This content will be available on every one of our platforms, with many programs confined not just to NAIDOC Week itself, but available to audiences over a longer period. I have no doubt that more Australians than ever before will engage with this year’s NAIDOC Week through our content.”
ABC’s Head of Indigenous, Kelrick Martin, said NAIDOC Week was the most significant event on the calendar of Indigenous communities. “It’s when we get to celebrate who we are and what we’ve achieved, and the ABC has always been a champion for honouring NAIDOC Week in its programming.
“NAIDOC Week is a key moment for us, but the ABC’s ongoing commitment to Indigenous perspectives across all our content and news platforms means that we will continue to prioritise First Nations stories not just for this one special week, but all year round.”
NAIDOC Week highlights (local times unless stated):
WATCH
One Plus One Elders Series. Elders are the holders of knowledge, storylines, and song lines. They are the connection from the past – and bring understanding of Country and culture. In a new series of One Plus One, The Drum host and special correspondent for The Voice referendum Dan Bourchier sits down with Elders from across Australia. When: 9.40pm on Thursday 22 & 29 June and 6, 13 & 20 July. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony. Hosted by Mark Coles Smith and Casey Donovan, the awards recognise the outstanding contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to improve the lives of people in their communities and beyond. Ten Indigenous men and women will be recognised for their outstanding contributions in their chosen fields. When: 7.30pm (AEST) on Saturday 1 July, live from Meanjin Brisbane. Where: ABC TV, ABC iview and NITV.
Art Works NAIDOC special. Art Works regular Rowdie Walden hosts this special edition, sharing stories and performances from across the country including a catch up with this year’s winner of the NAIDOC Week Poster Competition Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul & Yawuru woman Bobbi Lockyer; Yimila Gurruwiwi and Roy Kellaway from Yolŋu surf rock band King Stingray introduce the yidaki and its pairing with the electric guitar; a look at new and emerging First Nations artists from Western Australia as part of the Fremantle Art Centre’s 2023 Revealed; and Ngarrindjeri, Kaurna and Italian wordsmith Dominic Guerrera performs his poem ‘Laundered Winds’. When: 5.00pm on Sunday 2 July. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
Compass: Changing Tides. Behind the postcard clichés, our majestic coastline is filled with stories of pride and resurgence. Surfer, artist and Dharug man Billy Bain invites us on an immersive road trip along Australia’s iconic eastern coastline, to capture the shifting conversation on our nation’s path. Heading north we face the truths of our frontier injustices, while witnessing Saltwater Peoples reclaiming culture, community, and Country. When: Sunday 2 July, 6.30pm. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
Back Roads. Heather interviews Afghan Aboriginal man, Frank Wilson in Lyndhurst, SA. When: Monday 3 July, 8.00pm. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
The Drum. Join host Dan Bourchier for a special NAIDOC Week episode When: Monday 3 July, 6.00pm. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
Wash My Soul. A cinematic reinvention of a legendary concert. A portrait of two of Australia’s great artists: Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter at the peak of their powers. A journey into the landscape of soul. When: Tuesday 4 July, 9.30pm. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
First Weapons. Host Phil Breslin sets out on an action-packed adventure across Australia to meet weapon makers and scientific experts, lifting the lid on the genius and science of Australia’s oldest, most innovative, and deadliest weapons. When: Friday 7 July, 7.30pm. Where:ABC TV and ABC iview with all episodes available to stream from launch.
rage. Tia Gostelow Guest Programs rage. First Nations artist Tia Gostelow is playing her favourite music videos on rage this NAIDOC Week. When: Saturday 8 July. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
Limbo. The highly acclaimed outback noir film Limbo by Indigenous filmmaker Ivan Sen (Mystery Road, Goldstone) tells the story of Travis (Simon Baker), a jaded detective, who arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case from the victim’s fractured family, the surviving witnesses and the reclusive brother of the chief suspect. Limbo is a poignant, intimate journey into the complexities of loss and the impact of the justice system on Aboriginal families in Australia. Where: ABC TV and ABC iview.
FOR THE KIDS
ABC ME NAIDOC collection: Celebrate the richness of Indigenous history, culture and achievements with this NAIDOC Week collection on ABC iview, including Dust Echoes, Many Lands Many Seasons, and Indigenous language versions of Little J & Big Cuz. Plus, a special Good Mornings series made with First Languages Australia to help teach children how to say good morning in different Indigenous languages.
