• ← Back to Blog Posts

This October, the Watarrka Foundation is hosting the 8th iteration of the annual Lilla Sports and Storytelling Festival. It will be the first since the start of the Covid pandemic, and we are so excited to renew the Festival in 2023 for the children of the Watarrka Region!

The Lilla Sports and Storytelling Festival brings together Aboriginal primary school aged students from throughout the Watarrka region near Kings Canyon in Central Australia for a three-day immersive educational, physical, and above all, fun experience. We have hosted the Lilla Festival since 2013 with great success. 

This project is one which is close to the heart for the Watarrka Foundation because it provides Aboriginal youth the opportunity to connect with other students and appreciate the benefits of an education. It is a chance for children to form life-long memories and build meaningful relationships.

What does the Festival involve?

Over three fun-filled days on country, students will participate as individuals and in groups to engage with their peers and to make new friends. 

Volunteers from our partners at Commonwealth Bank Australia, Dentons, Poetry in Action, CareerTrackers, and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute will deliver various educational activities and workshops which focus on good nutrition, hygiene, mental wellbeing, literacy, storytelling, poetry, art, drama and music. 

 

What are the benefits of the Festival?

The theme for the Lilla Sports and Storytelling Festival is 'It's cool to go to school!' 

Boosting school attendance rates is a primary focus of the Watarrka Foundation's mission. We believe the most powerful tool for change is education! The Lilla Festival experience is designed to inspire and motivate Indigenous children to attend school and to appreciate the benefits of an education. 

The Festival focuses on primary school aged students in order to cement the importance of health, well-being and literacy from a young age. The festival aims to assist in closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians by:

• supporting access to early childhood education for all Aboriginal children in remote communities on country
• improving the reading, writing and numeracy skills of all children in the Watarrka community
• providing guidance on employment opportunities for the children by connecting them with local employers and businesses 

Remote schools like those in the Watarrka region are confronted with a variety of challenges. One of these is to provide school events and activities which urban schools often take for granted.

For many of the students who will attend the Lilla Festival, this will be the first time they have gone on a school excursion. They will have the opportunity to form relationships with students from other schools and of similar ages who speak the same traditional language.

How you can help

There are a lot of logistics involved in hosting an event like the Lilla Festival. The Watarrka Foundation is organising shuttle buses for volunteers and school students and teachers, food, water and camping for approximately 70 people, and funding operational expenses and equipment. Based on previous years, the cost to run the festival is between $35,000 and $40,000.

You can help us by making a tax-deductible financial contribution to the Watarrka Foundation. It is only with your continued support that we are able to bring beneficial projects like the Lilla Sports and Storytelling Festival to the children of the Watarrka region. Click here to make a donation today and help us make the 2023 Lilla Sports and Storytelling Festival our best one yet!

We are seeking donations for the Starlink Project

The Watarrka Foundation is also seeking donations to fund our Starlink Project. We consider good internet connectivity a basic right, that's why we are working to bring fast, secure and accessible internet to all communities in the Watarrka region by installing Starlink systems. The internet systems will enable children living in the region to access online education by School of the Air, and provide the community access to online medical support, tertiary educational opportunities and employment opportunities. You can read more about it here and here.

Any donation, big or small, will help us make a fast and secure internet connection a reality for Indigenous communities in the Watarrka Region. Click here to donate now!

To support the Foundation and our projects within the Northern Territory, make a donation at www.givenow.com.au/watarrkafoundation