Tales of Spice & Flavour: Chapter 1 - Strawberry’s Rebirth
[Image ID - People in the distance surrounded by the Eucalyptus trees catching the last bit of sun by the river.]
The photos in this post were taken on Yorta Yorta land at Strawberry Fields.
Welcome to Tales of Spice & Flavour - a homage to the people you meet in the dust.
So much transpires across dance floors and festival scenes. This series aims to capture the fleeting moments and characters you meet.
They could be relatable to your own journey. Who knows, you might see a familiar face.
[Image ID - a weathered piano at the side of a crowded Tea Lounge stage.]
The series was set to launch on Yorta Yorta land at Strawberry Fields at the end of October. Unfortunately, La Niña had other plans. Accompanied by the pandemic, this was the festival’s first chance to return to its full form since 2019. It would have been a difficult decision to cancel, but after seeing the impacts of the floods along the east coast, it was the right call.
To praise their consideration for patron safety, I have dug into the archives from their March edition.
Strawberry’s Rebirth
Earlier this year, Strawberry delivered an intimate version of their festival. To remain flexible to potential pandemic changes, the ticket allocation was split in half across two weeks.
It was refreshing to see this edition given the appeal the festival has created in recent years. The news of dances and sips of tea between swims in the Murray River has caught everyone’s attention. When something grows so rapidly there is a fear that it will lose its identity.
This year, the festival returned to its roots. The all-Australian lineup gave local artists the chance to play in headline slots, and the smaller crowd made it easier to form friendships from repeated run-ins with strangers.
A silver lining from the past two years was seeing the benefits of slowing down. We reconnected to the simple things. Maybe the festival organisers noticed this with Strawberry’s path. You can have more impact by doing less, better.
Emily
[Two images of Emily in her Mlee Jean clothing on the dance floor at the main stage.]
“I was born into the motor cross world. My Nan and Pop’s motorcycle shop was established in 1967. It’s remained in the family for three generations.
“I’ve grown up in the motorcycle shop and spent a lot of my childhood there or riding. I once stacked it in fifth gear, full throttle down a straight. I woke up next to a tree.
“I’ve been very proud of the shop because it’s something so special to my family. I see all the hard work they put into it.
“I’m now a fashion designer and have a clothing line (@m.leejean) dedicated to the motorcycle shop. For me, creating clothes is an opportunity to express my passions in both areas. Who knows where the shop will be in the future, but at least my clothing makes a space for it to live forever.”
Mikaela and Chiara
[Image ID - Mikaela and Chiara posing for a photo with their arms around each other at the main stage.]
“Mikaela and I met at Esoteric festival. It was a beautiful alignment to be camping right next to each other. Bonding over our love of people, dancing and spinning poi. The most beautiful friendship blossomed. We made a conscious effort to keep in touch, and reunited shortly after at Strawberry.
“Speaking on the behalf of both of us, I know we will be forever grateful for the connection developed and have so many more wonderful adventures planned ahead together.”
Thank you for reading the first chapter of Tales of Spice & Flavour! I hope it brings back fond memories of your own.
I’m excited to share more stories with you this summer.
Warmly,
Max
