Events at the old church in the bush
To enquire about using our space for an upcoming event or performance please go to our performers page.
Film screening: 'contact'- including Q&A with co-director Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival returns to yandoit
Sunday June 1st, 2025
Time: 5.00pm
Where: Yandoit Uniting Church , Uniting Church Rd, off High St
Entry by donation
Support our film makers, local first nations projects and the continuation of Yandoit Cultural
Description:
Co-director, Bentley Dean, will introduce the film and respond to questions at the end.
CONTACT is constructed around one of the most extraordinary pieces of footage in Australian history: The moment when a group of Martu women and children walk in from their nomadic existence of millennia into the universe of European modernity.
The film centers on Yuwali, the beautiful 17-year old girl we see making that giant leap on the 24th of September 1964. Now 62, Yuwali’s account of the ‘first contact’ experience is probably the fullest and most revealing ever caught on film. Her group of twenty were the last remnant aboriginal mob still living traditionally, without any contact or knowledge of modern Australia, in the remote Great Sandy Desert.
A huge space rocket test – Blue Streak – was to be fired in May 1964 at their home in the dry Percival Lakes. The authorities sent in patrol officers to evacuate anyone living there to protect them from rocket debris.
The days counting down to blast off drive the narrative of the film. Back at the Lakes, Yuwali gives a riveting account as she and her group are chased hundreds of kilometers around the desert trying to escape the ‘devilmen’ in the ‘rocks that move’ (four wheel drives). The climax is both extraordinary and emotional.
Directed by: Bentley Dean and Martin Butler
Awards: Joint Winner- Best Documentary – Sydney Film Festival, 2009.
Winner Best Achievement in Directing for Documentary- Australian Directors Guild, 2009
Bookings: https://yandoitcultural.org/bookings/
Cost: Entry by Donation- in support of our film makers, local indigenous programs and community venues.
Alex and emily- an afternoon with daylesford's musical couple
Sunday June 15th, 2025
Time: 3.00pm
Where: Yandoit Cultural- the old church in the bush, Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit.
Description:
A warm intimate musical afternoon as singer-songwriter Emily Davis and ARIA-nominated classical guitarist Alex Tsiboulski share their long-time favourites and their most recent work. Emily, a singer/songwriter with three albums under her belt, is a performer of rare communicative ability and emotion. Classical guitar virtuoso Alex Tsiboulski is an award-winning performer and recording artist. Recently returned from a European playing, recording and teaching tour, he will be playing a selection of classical guitar favourites alongside fresh recent compositions by leading composers. Early bird discount 30% for bookings before June 6. Promo code earlybird77 |
Yandoit Sacred
Saturday February 22nd, 2025
Time: 2.00pm
Where: Yandoit Uniting Church , Uniting Church Rd, off High St
Description:
Join us this coming Saturday February 22nd at 2.00pm for our first Yandoit Sacred gathering for the year.
We’ll start with a meditation, led by Karina, a way to ‘clear the space’, to encourage deep focus, to pay attention to what’s arising in each of us and then to share that with others present.
For 2025, we envisage building on what’s been emerging over the past year, being guided by this ‘place’, and creating a community of deep listening into the sacred.
We plan to meet regularly every 6 weeks, on Saturday afternoons and sometimes on weekday evenings (outside and around a fire when possible). We’re developing a calendar of gathering dates so watch this space or subscribe to Yandoit Sacred‘s email list (on this website) for more updates.
About Yandoit Cultural
Yandoit Cultural is located at Yandoit’s historic Uniting Church - Uniting Church Rd (off High St), Yandoit, 3461, Central Victoria. This old church in the bush is an intimate space seating approximately 100, with excellent acoustics.
Yandoit Cultural provides an arts and cultural space for the communities of Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford, as well as surrounding townships in central Victoria. We encourage local, acoustic, quality and innovative performances with a diverse, inclusive program of music, story, song, poetry, film, visual arts and local history. In addition, Yandoit Cultural is available for wedding hire, musical recordings and more.
Yandoit Cultural celebrates the retention of our community’s much-loved and historical Uniting (ex-Methodist) church. Over the years many churches across central Victoria, and throughout Australia, have been decommissioned and subsequently sold. Once vital community hubs and commons, these buildings shift from public to private. The communities of Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford are committed to retaining our precious church in community hands and to exploring ways the church can continue as a community gathering place, as local cultural centre, and as a venue for an emerging faith community.
Yandoit Cultural is committed to arts and culture being accessible to everyone. In most instances entry is by donation. We offer country hospitality with afternoon tea/supper provided at each event. Yandoit Cultural is a project of the Yandoit Clydesdale and Franklinford Community Planning Group.
If you’re interested in performing at Yandoit Cultural complete our expression of interest form.
