Desert Song Festival to foster an interaction between climate science and the arts

The popular Desert Song Festival event returns to Alice Springs from 9th to 18th September following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, featuring an array of music, art and cultural experiences, plus a climate and land symposium.

Set against the stunning ranges and gorges of Central Australia, and renowned heritage venues, the theme of this year’s festival is ‘Our Climate, Our Planet, Our Future’. Climate scientists and Indigenous knowledge-keepers will collaborate with artists and performers to deliver a unique program that fosters a genuine interaction between climate science and the arts. 

Program highlights include The Festival Recital, presented by Australian Concert Hall pianist Stefan Cassomenos and violinist Monica Curro of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. They will perform a selection of works from Beethoven, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff and more.

Desert Song Festival Director, Morris Stuart notes “Desert Song Festival is roaring back in September with its most ambitious program yet, and a timely and imaginative program themed ‘Our Climate, Our planet, Our Future’. The focus is climate action: a creative collaboration of Climate Science and the Arts!

“After two successive years of cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this will be an eagerly anticipated regathering of the community in the heart of the desert.”

Festival goers can also participate in an interactive musical and artistic experience at Alice Springs Earth Sanctuary. The Climate Caravan, a structured, improvised work, will draw on the wisdom and culture of 60,000 years of First Nations people in Central Australia.

Northern Territory Minister for Major Events, Paul Kirby notes “It’s wonderful to see Desert Song Festival back on the Territory’s events calendar in 2022. This year’s program is bursting at the seams with a fantastic selection of music, art and cultural experiences that showcase the region’s incredible multicultural community and some of the most accomplished musicians in the country.

To see the full program or to buy tickets, visit www.desertsong.com.au.

Image courtesy Desert Song Festival