This May, the team behind UE Industries are back to present another edition of the Yemaya Festival. Nestled deep within the beautiful Redcastle State forest near the town of Heathcote in Victoria, the space will be transformed into an underwater playground accompanied by not only an array of mind-bending psy-trance, but also some of the funkiest glitch and progressive electronica.
The lineup consists of international acts including Dickster (UK), Minimal Criminal (BR), Arjuna (IN) and Dirty Hippy (UK), alongside a monster showcase of local talent: Ryanosaurus vs. Pspiralife, Mr Peculiar, Legohead, Farebi Jalebi, Imperfect Circle, MoGo, Pakman vs. Glacial, Megapixel vs. Ish, Illume, Earthbound, Emfasy(z)e, Double Dog, Obsidian, Squelch, Golden Rae, Dr Quinn, High Jacked, Daytrip and NightShayde.
Three luscious days and two luminescent nights of audio-visual enchantment across two stages, highlighting the finest psychedelic visual art and music production talent Australia has to offer. Amongst the indulgences will be a healing sanctuary, a relaxation space, an arts display space, and a creative participation space, all are encouraged to become involved! Beyond creating an amazing sensory experience over the weekend, the focus of this festival is towards utilising its amazing potential for good by providing support, recognition, and opportunities for talented audio and visual artists to flourish.
Yemaya is a mother goddess, signifying home, fertility, love, and family.
Her healing powers are carried in the great waters, her energy powerful during the ebb and flow of life challenges.
Like water she represents both change and constancy, bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary.
We invite you on this journey with us to explore the depths of her unknown waters… from the wonders of the day to the playful mysteries of the night we welcome you to submerge yourself within the underwater world we have created for your pleasure. Through a plethora of aural and visual delights we hope you can find your light amongst like-minded souls who wish to have a nurturing space in which to explore, create, connect, and dance.
Our vision is to create a truly immersive experience by blending world-class décor with mind-bending audio-visual productions to create a space of wonder for all to explore. We hope to raise standards of best practice wherever possible, placing great emphasis on environmental, ecological, and sustainable event management practices. The event is intended to be a truly transformational festival, we aim to promote a community-building ethic, and a value system that celebrates life, personal growth, social responsibility, healthy living, and creative expression.
We are a young festival, yet the crew share a long history working together across many events, combining a broad scope of experience in all facets of outdoor event management, including décor, stage design, visuals, lighting, and music production. Our team members have worked closely with charity programs across the world, with involvement in conservation efforts locally through Platypus Project and The Wilderness Society. We rely heavily on our guests to help us create an environment which encourages respect towards the natural earth and our fellow beings upon it.
We have tried to pay much attention to detail, our whole crew are committed to creating an audiovisual safe space for your sensory delight. We only wish that you mirror our efforts in creating a safe space by taking that extra care for the land you will be staying on for the duration of the festival. Please try and carpool to minimise traffic congestion. Bring rubbish bags and sort out your garbage and recycling. We will have a waste management system in place, though we ask everyone to take extra care. We believe the best way is to lead by example, be exemplary in your actions, show positive leadership by taking care of yourselves and the land you live on, take charge and get rid of litter wherever you see it. Speak up against any abusive and unwarranted behavior or report it to the site managers.
Lastly please make use of the healing space provided, it is a haven purely for you. Our team of healers are experienced in helping you ground yourself after a long night of dancing. They are their to guide you through your emotions and help you shift perspective for a better you. Use this island as a sanctuary through out your travels across the festival.
We are here to celebrate creativity, art, and life through the human experience.
“Yemaya Festival would not be what it is without the creative elements that weave themselves into its existence, with this being directly reflected in the strong focus we have placed on the visual elements of the sensory journey. This bias towards décor has been a guiding element in the festival’s development, with the budget’s emphasis greatly placed on the visual arts of sculpture, décor, stage design, painting, performance art, lighting, projections, and lasers. We aim to bring together all of these elements to balance harmoniously with the music flow of the festival to create a truly unique experience.
Our main stage décor design is led by Liquid Love with extensive creative support from Ninjaa and UE Industries, incorporating contributions from many talented local artists such as Lava of the Butterflies, Captain Carver, Cerebral Xpansion, Conscious Colour, The Cosmic Beehive, and Sands of Time.
What drives our creative and artistic direction is the belief that what can be conceived can be achieved… we create our own stories, our own design concepts, and our own worlds. These worlds are surreal and sublime, emotional and intelligent, masculine and feminine. We aim to create a sacred temple space where one can feel safe, nurtured, and reconnect with one’s inner child. Through infinite worlds of creative possibility we plan carefully to bring to you something truly from the heart.”
Before we farewell the sun and the festive season, join us for one last hooray before we move fourth into the colder months of the year. Pack your warm jackets, she may be a cold one. Head to www.yemayafestival.com.au to grab tickets online or source your closest retailer for hardcopies. Let’s Dance.
Photography: Micah Dunshea
