Sustainability and creativity were centre stage in Katherine over the weekend for the annual Junk Festival.
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The event by Katherine Regional Arts set a new record with an estimated peak attendance of 1800 people at the Lindsay Street Complex in Katherine.
Patrons indulged in a smorgasbord of musical and dance performances from throughout the region, as well as workshops and the event's centrepiece - a gallery of strange and beautiful 'Junk Sculptures' contributed by the community across a range of awarded categories.
This year's edition featured more than 50 entries, and KRA Executive Officer Jacinta Mooney says there's only one rule.
"Everything at Junk-Fest is as sustainable as it can possibly be - from the sculptures being made from recycled materials, to KRA paying to offset all event emissions through the Jawoyn Fire Management Program," she said.
"That's the point we're making - look how much incredible creative talent we have across the Katherine region, but also look how much fun we can have without hurting the planet.
"Junk-Fest is in its ninth year now - the first edition had less than 50 attendees. Now it's a fixture on the calendar for a very significant portion of the community here.
"To us, that shows Katherine is a community which cares deeply about the beautiful natural environment in which we reside."
This attitude was perhaps best summarised by local high school students Gypsy Schmidt and Silvana Goldbach-Eggert who organised a student climate strike in Katherine last year and spoke to the crowd about their fears for their futures.
While making firm points about various local and federal environment issues from fracking to the lack of local recycling options in Katherine itself, Junk Fest also platforms a diverse range of performers.
Local up-and-coming performer and song-writer Gypsy Schmidt and rapper Hope Campbell were once again home-crowd favourites as they continue showing their progress towards stardom.
Darwin 'circus-funk' band Neo's big band feel and crowd engagement kicked off an impromptu dance-floor, while the Active Feet youth gymnastics team brought their own moves with an eye-catching skeleton-themed performance.
The Katherine Regional Arts Community Choir brought more than 20 Katherine locals on stage, while Borroloola's Sandridge Band closed the event with a series of songs touching on their connection to country and fierce opposition of fracking within it.
Ms Mooney said the event's strength is in its diversity.
"We're incredibly proud that Junk Fest consistently reflects the diversity of not just Katherine but the region as a whole," she said.
"We achieve that by proactively seeking remote performers and MC's. We invite people - we make sure that everybody feels welcome to attend or show their creativity.
"Katherine is more than just the people who live here permanently. It includes a range of demographics all contributing different things.
"When you bring them all together, you start seeing how remarkable Katherine really is - that's what we try to achieve with Junk-Fest."
Full list of winners as follows:
- Welded: Tree Rollinson - 'River Life'
- Runner Up: Jack Sean Barry - 'Heavy Metal'
- Non-Welded 50cm: Preet Gill - 'Scary World'
- Non-Welded 50cm: Gretel Bailey-Preston - 'No Mail from the Great Wave'
- Functional: Greg Wright - 'Garden Peg Seat'
- Group: Rockhole Women - 'Sammy the Turtle'
- Teens: Nathan Cotton - 'Gun Rack'
- Tweens: Austin Cook - 'Tractor'
- Tots: Kate Ogilvie - 'Robot'
- Fashion: Annalisa Bowden
- Fashion Hat: Sandra Morrow - 'Lampshade'
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