SelbyFest Community Festival

I ACKNOWLEDGE THE BUNURONG AND WURUNDJERI PEOPLE WHO ARE THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF THE LAND ON WHICH I PHOTOGRAPH.
I PAY MY RESPECTS TO THEIR ELDERS; PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING.

SelbyFest is an inclusive and family friendly music and arts festival. It celebrates all that is great about the community of the Dandenongs. It is hosted and organised by Selby Community House. The venue has multiple areas for outdoor performers from drumming circles to buskers and choirs. There are a range of activities specifically for children and youth including cupcake decorating, story time, face painting and an interactive butterfly tent. Local makers and artisans have the opportunity to show and sell their works.

A focus of SelbyFest is the environment and sustainability. This year, the festival is using a service called Green My Plate. They provide reusable plates, cutlery and crockery to allow the organisers to drastically reduce their environmental footprint.

When I was booked to photograph SelbyFest 2022 I reflected on what community in the hills looked like to me. I thought of babies in carriers, grubby children playing outdoors, bearded men. I knew I wanted to capture individual’s expressions and the candid interactions between them. Here are a selection of my favourite shots from the day.