Education is a core focus of our September dates to celebrate, with Early Childhood Educators’ Day and Indigenous Literacy Day kicking off the month closely followed by International Literacy Day.
We’ve also got some wonderful cultural celebrations including the start of America’s Hispanic Heritage Month, South East Asia’s Mooncake Festival and European Day of Languages.
All of these September dates to celebrate can be enhanced with a multicultural incursion that promotes intercultural understanding. Here are some of our top calendar picks for September dates to celebrate.
Early Childhood Educators’ Day
1 September
Held on the first Wednesday in September each year to recognise the contribution of Australian educators, Early Childhood Educators’ Day thanks educators for their role in the wellbeing and healthy development of future generations. Early education can improve children’s social skills and cultivate lifelong interests.
Around Australia, kindergarten and preschool teachers are supported by pre-primary incursions that help children discover different cultures and perspectives.
Jungle Shimmy is a dynamic music and dance adventure program, Victorian kids will learn easy-to-follow dances including Bollywood, Bhangra, Turkish, Egyptian, Gulf and Lebanese folk styles.
Available in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, Hip Hop Infusion allows students to discover the significance of hip-hop and urban dance culture through high-energy interactive programs.
Victorian students can learn the values and qualities of Taekwondo through dynamic performances in Korean Taekwondo Workshop.
Middle Eastern Belly Dance is a workshop to explore Arabic culture through storytelling and dancing available in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Indigenous Literacy Day
1 September
Since 2004, Indigenous Literacy Day has been celebrated on the first Wednesday of September. This day highlights the difficulties faced by Indigenous Australians and advocates equality. Education and literacy are some of the most prominent challenges faced by Indigenous Australian, for example, large literacy gaps between Indigenous children and non-Indigenous children.
Cultural Infusion’s Indigenous programs help children from all parts of society understand and appreciate the role of Our First Nations Peoples.
Students in Victoria and Queensland can immerse themselves in Australian Indigenous culture through engaging in storytelling, sport, instrument, and dance in our Aboriginal Cultural for a Day program with Gene Blow and Djarrin Blow.
Gundoo Dreamtime with Gene Blow lets Queensland students explore Indigenous culture through didgeridoo performance, dancing with music, storytelling, Indigenous artefacts demonstration, and animal mimicking.
Also available in Queensland, Indigenous Symbolic Art with Gene Blow introduces symbols of Aboriginal visual art through dancing and storytelling.
Students will be able to create their own story after learning Indigenous art symbols from our presenter of immersive storytelling in Indigenous Storytelling through Art available in Victoria.
Victorian kids can also join Kinder Dreaming with Djarrin Blow which is an Indigenous culture experience program specifically designed for children under five. This includes storytelling, dancing, singing, games, and artefacts.
Indigenous Infusion is a dynamic program available in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. It aims to provide students a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture and is unique to each of our Indigenous presenters.
Elder Gene Blow shares and teaches about his Aboriginal heritage through storytelling and dancing. Larry Brandy’s engaging and interactive teaching style incorporates movement, history and artefacts. Walangari provides an entertaining and educational workshop showcasing traditional dance, music and storytelling. Djarrin Blow’s interactive workshop includes didgeridoo, dances, storytelling, Indigenous artefacts and boomerang throwing. Sam Roberts shares her own culture with students through engaging and informative workshops about Aboriginal culture including storytelling, artefacts, traditional symbols, art, language and dance.
International Literacy Day
8 September
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation proclaimed International Literacy Day 55 years ago. It aims to highlight the significance of literacy and raise awareness and concern for literacy problems in our communities. According to UNESCO, there are more than 700 million adults and 600 million children and adolescents lacking basic literacy skills or not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics. Recently, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the learning of global citizens on an unprecedented scale. Therefore, this year’s theme focuses on The right to literacy in times of COVID-19: The contribution of digital literacy and distance learning programs.
Cultural Infusion works with a range of talented and educational multicultural presenters to create an array of storytelling programs for students.
South Australian students can learn Roma culture through musical and theatrical performance in A Nomadic Journey.
Victorian children can discover historical and cultural insights to Australian migrant communities through dance and theatre in Ciao Migrating to Australia.
Story of the Silk Road presents the historical Silk Road trading route in China for Victorian students through immersive storytelling, Kung Fu movements, and classic Chinese dancing.
Also available in Victoria, Spirit of Italia shares a story of challenges faced by Italian immigrants in Australia while Vive La France is a theatre performance of France culture featuring music, dance, and comedy.
National Hispanic Heritage Month
15 September to 15 October
This national month celebrates the contribution and influence of Hispanic heritage to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. The theme of 2021 is Be Proud of Your Past, Embrace the Future, which aims to encourage Hispanics to embrace their background, be proud of their identity and celebrate.
Available in Victoria, Fire of Flamenco incorporates dance, music, and singing and has a rich, multicultural history influenced by Roma, Arab, West African, and Spanish cultures, students will have the chance to learn some of the dance moves for themselves.
Also available in Victoria, Road to Rio will take you on a journey into the heart of the Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Viva Mexico – A Journey to Mexico through Music and Culture provides an opportunity for students in the Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales to learn folk dances and meanings of Spanish lyrics found in La Bamba and other popular songs.
Flamenco Fiesta features experienced teachers and performers from the renowned Flamenco company ‘Alma Flamenca’. This vibrant and interactive performance includes all the elements of Flamenco – dance, guitar, singing, and ‘Jaleo’ and is offered to students in South Australia.
Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival
21 September
Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese festival that celebrates the full moon, symbolising family reunions. It is on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar when the moon is at its fullest throughout the year. During this day, people gather with their families to appreciate the moon and eat mooncakes together. The people of the town carry lanterns when they walk around on the street.
Available in Victoria, Cultural Infusion provides a DIY workshop where students will make their own colourful paper lanterns and practice Chinese calligraphy to decorate in Chinese Lantern Making and Calligraphy. Students can learn about the history, symbolism and uses of lanterns in festivals and celebrations across China while making their own to take home.
Heritage Day
25 September
National Heritage Day of South Africa celebrates the rich cultural heritage within their nation. South Africans’ celebrate this day by recognising the rich cultural heritage of the unique and diverse cultures that make up the population of South Africa. The importance of living heritage is promoted during this day. It plays a significant role in enhancing cultural diversity, social inclusion, reconciliation, peace as well as economic development within a nation.
Available in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia, Cool Capoeira introduces students to the instruments and songs of Capoeira – a unique African-Brazilian cultural practice that granted status as “intangible cultural heritage” by UNESCO. Students will be able to see an athletic display and try some moves themselves.
European Day of Languages
26 September
In 2001, the European Year of Languages, the Council of Europe declared 26 September the European Day of Languages to celebrate linguistic diversity in Europe and promote language learning. The European Day of Languages aims to preserve the linguistic diversity in Europe, promote plurilingualism and intercultural understanding through recognising the need to diversify the range of languages people learn, and to raise the awareness of the need for people to learn two or more languages to play their full part in democratic citizenship in Europe.
Language learning opens up connections with people around the world and plays an important role in helping us overcome cultural barriers and embrace cultural differences.
At Cultural infusion, we provide interactive cultural programs and workshops designed to enhance students’ intercultural understanding across a range of languages.
Available in Victoria, Fairytale Puppetry engages students with language and culture through a range of nine classic fairy tales and stories told through exquisitely crafted traditional European hand puppets. The performances feature audience participation and are available in French and Mandarin.
In French Music, discover the ‘Viva the Trio’ formed by multi-instrumentalists Peter and Marie Rappolt and French cabaret singer Corrine Andrew. The program contextualises the music by introducing the lyrics, instruments, and cultural context in French and English.
Assyrian-Iraqi Band Azadoota is one of the few professional bands in the world that performs in the Assyrian language, the native language of Iraq’s indigenous people. Azadoota immerses audiences in Assyrian history and culture and promotes intercultural awareness through their performance of diverse styles of music.
We hope you enjoyed reading about September dates to celebrate. Next month, we’ll be taking a look at October celebration dates such as World Music Day, World Teachers’ Day and, of course, Halloween!