For Milingimbi community member, clan leader, and Remote School Attendance Strategy(RSAS) employee Tony Batju, the Gattjirrk festival is more than a battle of the bands in the middle of the bush. It's a chance for the community to observe the power of music.  

Tony has been running school re-engagement activities using music as a connection to school and culture for many years.

"We want to try and give the children a good way to express themselves".

Each Wednesday afternoon Tony facilitates Music in the Park, creating a welcome environment for children of all ages to come and jam along.  

He says the highlight of the festival is meeting up with other musicians from nearby communities and getting to perform alongside another.  

in 2020 the festival had to be scaled back due to COVID-19. Tony like many of the other musicians wanted to see the festival back to it's full capacity. Tony told us his fond memories of the visiting bands attending the Gattjirrk festival and even fonder memories of the warrakan (animals, meat) the other visitors bring from their homelands.