Sand Tracks

Sand Tracks is Regional Arts WA’s hugely successful contemporary music touring initiative.
Sand Tracks teams a renowned Aboriginal headline act with a young Aboriginal band from central Australia as the support act. The two bands tour through Australia’s remote central desert region delivering live performances alongside music and culture workshops.
In 2004 Regional Arts WA toured Arnhem Land band Nabarlek through regional WA. The band was received with the largest audiences our regional touring program had ever seen and had people travelling hundreds of kilometres to see the performances and follow the tour. A similar tour in 2008 even had audiences crossing state borders to see the performances.
It became increasingly clear that there was an enormous appetite for performances amongst remote Aboriginal communities and the 2009 Sand Tracks Report concluded that communities in the central desert region wanted to see high profile bands tour but also needed an outlet for highly talented local bands to gain industry experience and develop their own audiences.
A pilot tour in WA in 2009 was very successful and each year since then the excitement generated by the headline bands, all extremely popular contemporary Aboriginal musical acts, has been immense. Each band has delivered a uniquely exciting and inspiring tour to the communities of central Australia.
For a look at the 10-year history of the Sand Tracks program check out the video below!
If you would like to receive further information or wish to receive assistance, please contact a Regional Arts WA project officer on regional freecall 1800 811 883, or 08 9200 6200.