These polyester banners promoted 'The Festival of the Dreaming', an Indigenous arts festival held in Sydney from 15 September to 5 October 1997. This was the first of four festivals to celebrate Australian arts and the coming Olympic Games. The banners, which were made by Selby's Flags & Banners in Sydney, appeared at one of seventeen venues that hosted the events.

Though they are different in design, both banners feature the festival slogan, 'intimate, contemporary, true', and the logo illustrating an Indigenous child peering through a sheet of corrugated iron. This was the work of Adelaide artist, Adrian Adams, who, in 1997, completed all creative work for the four Olympics arts festivals.

From early 1997 to late 2000, the Olympic Arts Festival featured four successive programs that promoted the Australian arts and the Olympic Games. 'Festival of the Dreaming' (15 September to 5 October 1997) celebrated Indigenous arts and artists; 'A Sea Change' (30 April 1998 to January 1999) reflected Australia's social, cultural and geographical landscapes; 'Reaching the World' (December 1998 to January 2000) exhibited Australian arts around the world; and the 'Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival' (18 August to 1 October 2000) invited Australian artists to celebrate the life of Sydney.

The Festival of the Dreaming involved Indigenous artists from urban, rural and remote areas and from each Australian State and Territory. Its program comprised storytelling, ceremonies, dance, theatre, literature, film, visual arts, multimedia and new technologies to reflect the variety and optimism within Indigenous culture. The unique quality of the program was due not only to Indigenous authorship and control but also to the inclusion of Indigenous arts from the United States, Canada, Greenland, Korea, Oceania and New Zealand.

Though they are different in design, both banners feature the festival slogan, 'intimate, contemporary, true', and the logo illustrating an Indigenous child peering through a sheet of corrugated iron. This was the work of Adelaide artist, Adrian Adams, who, in 1997, completed all creative work for the four Olympics arts festivals.

'Selby's P.L Flags, Banners, Flag Poles, and Marquees' of Sydney made these polyester banners in 1997 for use at Festival of the Dreaming.

The banners were used at one of seventeen Sydney venues that hosted Festival of the Dreaming from 14 September to 6 October 1997

The banners were made for and owned by the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, and were donated to the Powerhouse Museum after the Games.

Banners (2), Festival of the Dreaming, Olympic Arts Festival, polyester, made by Selby's Flags and Banners for SOCOG, Festival logo designed by Adrian Adams, Adelaide, 1997, used at Festival of the Dreaming 15 September to 5 October 1997

Banners, 2 Olympic Arts Festival, Festival of the Dreaming. Both polyester, one is an indoor banner and one outdoor banner. Each of the banners feature the Festival of the Dreaming logo - a diamond shaped piece of corrugated iron with an eye looking through a hole in the corrugated iron.

Made: 1997

2001/84/312

1997