CROSSING RIVERS: INDIGENOUS STRUGGLES AND CULTURAL COLLABORATIONS

Aurora Artist Residency Program and Space x Creative Australia

This exhibition chronicles the journey of the Dumagat people and the evolution of the Adow ne Domaget (Dumagat Day) Festival since 2018, through cultural collaborations between the Dumagat communities in Dingalan, Aurora, and the Aurora Artist Residency Program and Space (AARPS). It highlights key moments of resilience and transition, such as how the festival adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic by shifting from in-person gatherings to radio broadcasts. In 2024, the festival entered a new phase by moving from the coastal community of Brgy. Matawe to the remote riverine community of Brgy. Umiray.

Crossing Rivers also features collaborations between the Dumagat and resident artists. Since 2018, the AARPS residency has facilitated immersive programs between artists and the Dumagat, addressing local issues creatively. Featured artists include Cece Carpio, who painted the festival’s backdrop in 2018, Carel Mapanoo, who designed the festival’s catalog in 2018, and Cian Dayrit, who led a counter-mapping workshop on ancestral land rights in 2019. The shadowplay group Karilyo also engaged with the Dumagat youth in a long-term artist exchange.

Don’t miss out on CROSSING RIVERS’ public programs:

Opening Program on October 8, 2024 at 5 PM

Artist Talk on October 15, 2024 at 2:30-4 PM

Closing Program on October 18, 2024 at 5 PM

Let’s honour and uplift Indigenous voices together and continue their fight for ancestral land and

self-determination!

#CrossingRivers #IndigenousPeoplesMonth #CulturalCollaboration #AARPS #CreativeAustralia