Art and culture lovers have converged on Berry for the OpenField Arts Festival, which kicked off on Friday at Berry School of Arts.

The festival was officially opened with a smoking ceremony led by Drew Longbottom, songs in language by Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, and a Welcome to Country by Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.

Longbottom, a Gamea-Dharrawal/Jerrinja-Wandra Wandian Guruyal Gadhungal Marring Yuin, ba Djirringanj Guyangal Gadhungal Marring Yuin man, explained the purpose behind the smoking ceremony.

“The smoking ceremony’s pretty much to cleanse the spirit that sits within us … Our inner health is important, so if we strengthen that, nothing negative attaches.”

Before the ceremony began, he gave a speech to honour Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.

He spoke about the role of mothers as nurturers, saying that everything we need comes from them and that “Mother Earth nurtures us in that same way.”

“Everything that we need in life comes from our mother.

"Whether it be the food you eat, whether it be the wood that builds your home, whether it be the electricity to charge your phone in to get that power in the battery.

"Electricity comes from mother, jewellery comes from mother, everything we exploit for our good looks comes from mother!”

He used the native cherry, or cherry ballart, as an alternative to eucalyptus for the smoking ceremony.

Once the smoke began to rise, everyone in attendance was invited to take part. It became so smoky that the front doors of the arts centre had to be closed as the smoke started drifting inside.

Afterwards, the guests made their way inside where artwork lined the room.

In Aunty Delia's Welcome to Country, she delivered a heartfelt speech and reminded everyone: “Never say never, you can always strive to be better.”

Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, was also in attendance and thanked the sponsors, funding bodies, artists, volunteers and everyone who contributed to the festival.

Describing herself as an appreciator of art rather than an artist, she said, “art is like planting a seed of what can be.”

Afterwards Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, musicians "revitalising local languages through song", sang songs in language, with traditional instruments and powerful voices.

There will be many more cultural artists and workshops throughout the weekend, through the First Nations program curated by Guringai and Yuin cloak-maker and storyteller Amanda Jane Reynolds.

Fiona Phillips described the Open Field arts festival as a “smorgasbord of events” and most of which are free.

Click here to check out the schedule go here and get immersed in local art, culture and festival fun this weekend in Berry.