More than one thousand dollars has been raised at the first-ever Indigenous All-Stahz Mini-ball – a celebration of ballroom culture held as part of NAIDOC week earlier this month.
The event – put on by Australia's longest-running HIV charity Bobby Goldsmith Foundation and the National Indigenous Australians Agency – was the first of its kind for the Sydney community.
It raised $1250, with all funds going towards tailored Bobby Goldsmith Foundation programs and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.
"This ball was created to celebrate blackfullas and our culture," said the event organisers in the lead-up to the ball.
Held on July 13 at the Imperial Hotel in Erksineville, the ball was well attended and followed two ballroom workshops presented by Gusta Silky, Kai Silky and King 007.
Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta person and Bobby Goldsmith Foundation ambassador Will Cooper walked in three categories and took home the Blackfulla Streetwear category.
"As a longtime ballroom fan, it was incredible to be a part of and see [the] community come together to celebrate First Nations culture for NAIDOC," he said.
The event was an opportunity for the community to gather and have meaningful conversations, said Cooper.
“The First Nations and non-Indigenous participants brought their authentic selves to provide a platform for more mob to become engaged in the scene and to raise funds for [the] Bobby Goldsmith Foundation … providing support to an important organisation," he said.
The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation said there was nothing but positive feedback and thanked the ballroom community for allowing them into their space.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: [email protected]
