Gab Titui Cultural Centre Marks Fifth Birthday
For Immediate Release 23/04/2009

Torres Strait's cultural safe keeping place the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, will be a hive of activity tonight with celebrations planned to mark the Centre's fifth birthday.

Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Chairperson Mr Toshie Kris said the Centre has reached an important milestone and he encourages members of the community to take part in the festivities.

"It is now five years since the grand opening of the Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday Island and in that time the Centre has surpassed expectations, earning Regional, State and National acknowledgement for its contribution toward Torres Strait cultural maintenance, revitalisation and preservation," said Mr Kris.

"With consecutive wins in the category of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism, Gab Titui has been entered into the Queensland Tourism Award's Hall of Fame - an outstanding achievement for such a remote and young Indigenous entity.

"Most importantly, the Centre has made significant progress on its aim to promote and preserve Torres Strait's art and culture.

"Over the last five years, Gab Titui has assisted community members to develop their artistic skills and work, with 70 Indigenous artists and crafts people alone being supported in the past year.

"Through exhibitions at the Centre as well as at southern venues, Gab Titui has promoted Torres Strait art and craft since its establishment, enhancing the incomes of the region's artists and crafts people through the sale of their artwork.

"This has contributed to the increased profile of the region as home to a pool of talented art and crafts people with a unique, strong and proud seafaring culture, and thus far, almost 45,000 visitors have walked through the Centre's doors to gain a glimpse of our cultural heritage.

"Authentic Torres Strait art and craft is experiencing a boom in demand which has seen Gab Titui having to expand its retail facilities to create room to display additional stock from local artists and craftspeople, as well introducing a new initiative to reduce production costs of artwork by subsidising the price of art materials purchased by artists through the Centre.

"Gab Titui has also embarked on a project to preserve our song and dance, recently supporting four communities to record and produce a CD and DVD.

"As part of the Centre's cultural maintenance program, Gab Titui will this evening launch the 'Zamiyakal: Torres Strait Dance Machines' exhibition.

"Zamiyakal is a celebration of the region's headdresses, costumes, masks and dance apparatus, and represents an opportunity to both residents and visitors to share and celebrate Torres Strait's unique culture.

"In addition, there will be traditional dancing from Poruma Island and a performance by the internationally renowned Ariw Poenipan dance group.

"Gab Titui's achievements would not have been possible without the ongoing support from our people, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank the community and invite families and friends to participate in the festivities tonight," Mr Kris said.

Celebrations begin at 6pm at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre, corner Blackall Street and Victoria Parade, Thursday Island. Telephone the Centre on (07) 4090 2130 for more information.


ENDS

TSRA Media Contact: Susan Reilly. Ph: 0429 039 560.