A showcase of emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists was held outside the Myer Centre in Queen Street Mall, Meanjin on Wednesday as part of Youth Week celebrations.
The First Nations Youth Week Showcase was presented through a collaboration between Cre8tive Nations, Visible Ink Youth Hub, Old Lore Records, and supported by Brisbane City Council.
The idea for the event began with a conversation between Peter Thornley, Dita Southwood and Drew Stephens.
Together, they brought together a group of young First Nations musicians who rehearsed at Old Lore Studios in West End in the lead-up to the show.
A highlight of the preparations included recording a live version of Rowie's debut single Fool at Triple A, made possible through support from Clay Cassar-Daley and Trisha Collins.
Mr Thornley said the event was about supporting the next generation.
"I got the chance to curate some First Nations youngsters... It's been amazing to be able to give back," the Gungarri man said.
"Music's been incredibly good to me... and I just got to the point where I wanted to give back to the next generation."
Mr Thornley said more ongoing development is needed for young artists beyond one-off events.
"Rather than the one-off gigs like NAIDOC Week or Youth Week, I really feel like it needs to be day-to-day, week-to-week development," he said.
Performing on the day was Zane Hall, ARIANNA, The Eatles and 23-year-old Rowie, originally from Gimuy (Cairns), who released his debut single in March.
Rowie said it was exciting to perform alongside other young artists.
"I'm here at Gathering in Queen Street Mall today to celebrate some crazy young talent and perform some unreleased, crazy music for Brissy today," he said.
Rowie said music allows him to express himself in different ways.
"Sometimes I write sad songs, sometimes I write happy songs, sometimes my culture comes through, sometimes it doesn't," he said.
"Just authentic self-expression."
Family band The Eatles also performed at the showcase, featuring Mone Hunt-Feagai, Genesis Hunt, Hezekiah Hunt, Narrah Hunt-Feagai, and Joshua Lahz.
Each member reflected on the performance and their development as artists.
Mr Lahz said the opportunity meant a lot.
"I'm really grateful for the opportunities that I've been given through this venue and a lot of other stuff that's happened recently," he said.
Mone said he was "so happy to play with these guys", while Genesis said he was looking forward to further improvement.
Mr Thornley said the showcase was just the beginning of what is possible when community and creativity come together.
"We're looking very, very healthy at the moment, that's for sure," he said.
"We could always do more and music's just such a powerful tool to get our story out there and get that truth-telling out there."
