Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of the Flourish and Elevate investment programs, supporting First Nations creators across literature, storytelling, fashion and textiles.
An investment of $500,000 through Flourish will support First Nations designers and organisations in the fashion and textiles sector. This year the program will support 12 recipients, including Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation, a collective of Yindjibarndi artists, as they work towards the launch of the Juluwarlu Fashion Label.
A further $120,000 investment through Elevate will support 12 First Nations storytellers, including writers, poets and illustrators. The latest investment will support emerging and established voices working across diverse genres from romantic comedy and memoir to young adult fiction.
Executive Director First Nations Arts and Culture Franchesca Cubillo said:
"This crucial investment will encourage and support the continued success of First Nations excellence across an array of art forms and genres. Through Flourish, we are excited to support innovative opportunities for individuals and small business, with a strong focus on cultural and economic sustainability, business development and ethical engagement modelling in the fashion industry.
The investment through Elevate will support our storytellers; as writers, poets and illustrators bring their stories to life and provide opportunities for new audiences to have access to Australia's First Nation ways of seeing and being. These initiatives expand the reach of First Nations creatives and showcase the profound depth and diversity of First Nations artistry to broader communities and markets, and hence enrich us as a nation."
Skye Cusack is among the Elevate recipients and says the project will enable her to undertake research and development, with the aim of becoming a published romantic comedy author.
