Four projects, ranging from an on-country camp in Wilkinkarra to create large scale visual artworks to a touring yellow bus that will demonstrate the Yindjibarndi people's enduring connection to country, have received a major funding boost from the McGowan Government.
The projects have been funded through the Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund as part of the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP) that was launched by the McGowan Government in 2019.
The fund supports Aboriginal artists, producers, storytellers, arts and cultural organisations, and organisations that work with Aboriginal people to deliver projects that encourage the expression and preservation of traditional and contemporary regional Western Australian Aboriginal cultures through the development of significant and large-scale works.
Projects showcase the unique stories of Western Australian First Nations peoples and contribute important employment opportunities for regional Aboriginal artists, arts workers and communities.
The four projects have been awarded $987,100, bringing the total invested in the program to more than $1.8 million since 2019.
The following four projects were successful in the 2021-2022 funding round:
- Warlayirti Artists Aboriginal Corporation was awarded $299,000 to develop Warlayirti X Wilkinkarra (WxW). Warlayirti Artists from Balgo in the Kimberley will take part in an on-country camp to Wilkinkarra (Lake Mackay) to share cultural knowledge across generations and document stories. Large-scale visual artworks and multi-media documentation will be created for display in a major exhibition;
- Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation received $220,100 for The Yellow Bus: Yindjibarndi experience and archive on the road. This large-scale moving installation and performative artwork will demonstrate Yindjibarndi people's enduring connection to country and will be developed in the Pilbara, later touring across the Mid-West and Gascoyne regions;
- $168,000 was awarded to Fremantle Biennale for First Lights, which is a place-responsive, choreographed drone light show that will collaborate with local Traditional Owners and artists in areas of regional WA to celebrate and share the first stories of place and country with audiences throughout the Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance, Great Southern and Pilbara regions; and
- Shire of East Pilbara (Martumili Artists) received $300,000 for the Warrarnku Ninti | Kujungka (all coming together in one) which will see six ambitious new artworks developed via a series of multi-media workshops and residencies targeting artistic development for youth, to be showcased in an exhibition and light show at Martumili Artists' Gallery in Newman within the Pilbara.
The RACIP is delivered by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, with funding from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
As stated by Acting Culture and Arts Minister Simone McGurk:
"The Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund recognises there is a huge public interest in Aboriginal art in all its forms, as well as significant artistic ability among so many of our first nations communities.
"The on-country camp to Wilkinkarra will ensure cultural knowledge is recorded for future generations, and the collaboration between the Fremantle Biennale, Traditional Owners and artists will provide a modern touch to very ancient stories.
"Aboriginal culture and storytelling is such a rich and diverse trove - I look forward to seeing the results of all the commissions."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"The Aboriginal Arts Commissioning Fund plays a special role in supporting Aboriginal artists to share their unique stories and heritage through creative projects.
"These four projects provide local artists with the opportunity to develop and showcase their talent, while sharing their creations with the broader community to increase, understanding and connection."
