- Five regional Aboriginal arts and cultural groups receive funding to help enliven the Aboriginal arts scene
- More than $500,000 will go towards new works and developing capacity within arts and cultural organisations
A new round of funding will support the gestation and birth of unique Western Australian Aboriginal stories, while also supporting the groups who tell them.
Five Aboriginal arts and culture groups from regional Western Australia will benefit from the first round of the Regional Aboriginal Arts Development grants.
Administered by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the grants provide funding for projects that support the development of Aboriginal artists and the Aboriginal arts and cultural sector in regional Western Australia.
Funding can be awarded in two categories. The creative development category awards up to $150,000 to support the development and production of new, large-scale Aboriginal artworks in regional WA. The business development and capacity building category awards up to $50,000 to develop the capacity and sustainability of Aboriginal arts and cultural organisations and creative businesses in regional WA.
The peer assessment panel was made up solely of Western Australian Aboriginal people. They recommended five applications for a total of $548,802. The recipients are:
- Marrugeku - $150,000 for research and first creative development of a new major work in the Kimberley;
- Goolarri Media Enterprises - $149,624 for the creation of Because We're Blak, a new Aboriginal theatre work in Broome;
- Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation - $149,288 for the development of a major new, multi-media work out of Roebourne sharing the sacred Burndud stories and co-commissioned by Perth Festival;
- Warmun Art Aboriginal Corporation - $50,000 to develop organisational skills, systems, policies and planning documents to ensure Warmun Art in the East Kimberley thrives into the future; and
- Baiyungu Aboriginal Corporation - $49,890 to support cultural research, strategic sustainability planning and marketing activities to ensure the Jamba Nyinayi Festival in Coral Bay is more economically sustainable.
The Regional Aboriginal Arts Development is a competitive grants program delivered as part of the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP).
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"Three of these grants go towards the creation of new works in regional WA. Because of where they are made and who they are made by, they will offer us unique perspectives and insights, as well as leave a cultural legacy for our State.
"One project will tell old stories using new technology, which will bring a greater depth of understanding, as well as the preservation of these stories.
"It's important to support works which the public see, but it's equally important to support the processes which go on behind the scenes in the arts. Two of these grants will help Aboriginal corporations create a solid business foundation from which to facilitate further capacity and growth.
"I look forward to seeing what kind of exciting work comes as a result of these grants."
As stated by Regional Development Minster Don Punch:
"The regions often have a different perspective and that's certainly true when it comes to the contribution of arts and culture.
"These grants will allow five Aboriginal groups to share that perspective, while at the same time strengthening art and culture in the regions."
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:
"I'm so pleased to hear that three of the five recipients are from the Kimberley region - we really do have some world-class artists here.
"By supporting their work, it helps them to tell their stories, which in turn leads to greater understanding and stronger partnerships."
