Funding to strengthen First Nations arts and languages

First Nations arts and language organisations across the country are set to receive significant funding to support vital cultural practices from the Federal Government.

83 First Nations-owned art centres, fairs, regional hubs and industry service organisations will receive a share of more than $38 million in funding over four years through the Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program.

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the funding demonstrated the government’s commitment to Revive.

“We understand the importance of arts and language in community. It’s how stories and traditions are passed on from generation to generation,” he said.

“Investing in First Nations-owned art centres fosters connection to the world’s oldest living culture and enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to earn income from their works.”

The IVAIS program supports a professional, viable and ethical First Nations arts industry to enable artists and arts workers to earn income, develop professional skills and connect to the art market. Amongst the grant recipients are:

• Arlpwe Artists Aboriginal Corporation – to support Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre’s newly established ceramics program through employment of an onsite ceramist to engage with First Nations artists in Ali Curung, Northern Territory.
• Ardyaloon Art and Culture Centre Aboriginal Corporation – to support the Ingarlgalandji Arts and Culture Hub to provide visual arts services to Bardi Jawi artists on the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
• Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh TSI Corporation – to support urgent upgrades to the art centre and refurbishment of the printmaking and textiles workspace for the Badu Art Centre on Badu Island in the Torres Strait, Far North Queensland.

Additionally, nearly $30 million in funding will go toward 70 community-led First Nations language and arts activities through the Indigenous Languages and Arts (ILA) program.

The ILA program supports First Nations peoples to express, conserve and sustain their cultures through languages and arts activities. Amongst the grant recipients are:

• Numburindi Development Aboriginal Corporation – to conserve and revitalise the Wuybuy language of the Numburindi people by employing community members to develop and produce a Wuybuy dictionary and become certified local language teachers and community linguists to facilitate community-led language workshops in Numbulwar, Northern Territory.
• Yirra Yaakin Aboriginal Corporation – to commission, develop, rehearse and tour three new Aboriginal language-based theatre shows to be shared with children far and wide and to include Yamatji and Wongatha language in productions in Perth, Western Australia.

Funding for the programs is delivered directly to community-led organisations.

https://www.arts.gov.au/funding-and-support/indigenous-visual-arts-industry-support-program

https://www.arts.gov.au/funding-and-support/indigenous-languages-and-arts-program