2020

Look back at Parrtjima 2020, held in September with glowing sculptures, a new ranges show and a programme themed Lifting Our Spirits.

Parrtjima returned from 11 to 20 September 2020 after its planned April dates were postponed because of COVID-19. The theme, Lifting Our Spirits, took on added meaning as audiences gathered in Alice Springs for ten nights of Indigenous art, storytelling and performance.

The Ebb and Flow of Sky and Country illuminated the MacDonnell Ranges, accompanied by narration from Traditional Owner Benedict Kngwarraye Stevens and curator Rhoda Roberts. Across the festival site, artworks became sculptures on an extraordinary scale. Greg McAdam's Grass Seed formed a seven-metre glowing sphere, while Rachel Wallace's Alatye, or Bush Yam, became a towering flower.

Cooking demonstrations joined the programme for the first time, with Mark Olive and Rayleen Brown sharing their knowledge. The Sounds of the Centre music programme featured Territory performers including Leah Flanagan and Southeast Desert Metal. Films screened in Todd Mall, extending the festival experience into the centre of town.

More than 17,000 attendances were recorded across the festival. Following months of disruption to events around Australia, Parrtjima's September edition brought people back together in the Red Centre and gave artists a public platform during an unusually difficult year for live arts.