VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
THE Dandenong Ranges Ukulele Festival (DRUKE) will give ukulele fans the opportunity to come together to share a love of all things Uke.
The Burrinja Cultural Centre in Upwey will host local and international ukulele players and enthusiasts over the last weekend in May.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” said Burrinja Executive Officer Ross Farnell.
“It’s going to be a chance for people to not only see performances, including international and local, but to participate as well,” he said.
There will be workshops, live performances, an open stage, stalls, and food as well as a door prize on Friday night for the best dressed in a ’70s themed costume.
“There will be lots of flares and platforms. I’m hoping people go really big on that night,” Ross said.
There’s a gala opening night on the Friday that will work like a taster for the whole festival, and performances and workshops throughout Saturday and Sunday with a special ‘women in uke’ event on Sunday.
In an effort to move the image of the ukulele away from the typical male, Ross Farnell explained the need to celebrate the women who play ukulele.
“We thought the profile quite often around ukuleles was around male players,” Ross said.
“On Sunday we’ve got these two fantastic female ukulele players who are really top-class who are going to be performing that afternoon and doing workshops.”
There are many great prizes for those that participate in the festival’s competitions.
The DRUKE competition categories include schools, under 15-year-olds, song writing and more so there is a chance for anyone to get involved and have a go.
“We hope a lot of people with their own ukuleles turn up at the door, which is great,” Ross said.
