The festival was created in 2014 by Lucky Lartey, a Sydney based award winning dancer; choreographer and entertainer. According to him, the purpose of this festival is to bring people together across generations to reinvigorate learning and playing childhood games while at the same time reconnecting people to their history and culture.
The idea of the festival came about when Lucky Lartey was reflecting on games that he used to play as a child and that had all vanished or on the verge of extinction.
Games ttat had tremendous benefits for the body and the mind
Looking back on the bygone era through a creative lens, Lucky realised that the games of his childhood had tremendous benefits to the individual and the child, in particular, than most of today's computer and screen based games.
Skills on display at a past Tuumatu festival Source: Lucky Lartey
Games like hopscotch, kite flying, rope skipping and many more had the benefit of developing psychomotor abilities, maintaining ones physical fitness while at the same time allowing social interaction and development of arithmetic skills.
Past Tuumatu festivals have provided the perfect platform for activities such as: toy-making workshops using traditional techniques with found and recyclable objects thus were encouraging the idea of sustainability; playing games such as hopscotch as well as making and flying kites.
Tuumatu festival also offers the perfect platform for local and international artists to showcase innovative performances, dances acrobatics and many more.
Tumatu has been growing in popularity, attracting larger and larger crowds.
Financially, Tummatu festival has relied essentially on the organiser's personal backing.
But it has grown to such a level that it now requires external support through crowd funding and other means.