The ACT Government acknowledges the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the ACT and surrounding region. We also acknowledge any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. The ACT Government values the vital contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make to the identity and vibrancy of our city through diverse expressions of arts and culture.
Ongoing consultation with ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Arts communities strengthens relationships and gives artsACT new and valuable insights into what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are making and why. We welcome you to stay in touch by joining our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist list.
Cultural Arts Program
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Program seeks to increase the development of self-determined projects from the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community that support and enhance arts and cultural outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and build cultural leadership.
Funds will be used to support costs associated with the development and delivery of activities that share and build cultural arts practices in the ACT and Region led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the ACT.
To apply or find out more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Program visit Funding and Support or contact arstACT on
(02) 6207 2384 or artsact@act.gov.au.
Image: Smoking Ceremony at the Kingston Arts Precinct by Richard Allan Jr. Photo by Richard Poulton Photography.
ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network
The ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Network (the Network) is as a flexible community led working group that assists artsACT to support policy and program making co-design opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the arts.
Whilst the Network is not a Ministerial Advisory Committee, its establishment supports self-determination and is a way for the ACT Government to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to guide our processes, providing a strong cultural basis for the work within the artsACT and the broader ACT arts community.
The Network focuses on promoting the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures through the arts by providing ongoing advice to artsACT about all its activities and programs on an as needed basis and also assists in the evaluation of programs and activities.
The Network meets 2-3 times a year and has members chosen as a reflection of their cultural expertise, skill sets, artistic practice, and role in their communities. Current Members* of the Network are Ngunnawal Elder, Tina Brown along with Marissa McDowall, Ian RT Colless, Samantha Faulkner, Aidan Hartshorn, Hollie Gill and Jenni Kemarre Martiniello.
*Interested ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are welcome to register to be on the Network by providing your best contact details and a brief (one page) CV or 2–3-minute video/sound recording with a description of your experience in the arts to artsACT@act.gov.au
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Engagement
The ACT Government prioritises engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures as a core principle.
A broader workplan focused on engaging local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists is being developed to help inform the priorities of the Assistant Director and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts Engagement Network.
Program Principals
Developed to guide the design of initiatives that reflect the varied pathways of ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Ngunnawal Country: Reflect what is unique about connection to place and site and those living on it.
Cultural practice is at the heart: Art forms come to the story and not the other way around as a way of promoting cultural reconnection.
Engaging children and young people in culture: Connect young and old for cultural exchange at the right moments in their trajectories (9-13 years).
Success takes time: Cultural arts upskills and grows local communities and arts content sustainably through deep engagement and cohesion.
Developing Audiences: Invoke the responsibility of listening and the context of non-indigenous audiences to observe and participate in cultural practice.
National Voices: Leverage the broad range of national and local arts organisations for the benefit of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Professional Pathways: Promote professional practice/business development opportunities arising from arts practices.
Useful Links
The ACT Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs is located within the ACT Government’s Community Services Directorate and offers a number of programs, services and grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples along with links to key organisations and on how to organise a Welcome to Country.
The Australian Government Office for the Arts administers a range of Australian Government funding for Indigenous Language and Arts programs, Contemporary Music and Visual Arts Industry Support.
The Australia Council for the Arts is the principal Australian Government arts funding body and provides a range of funding programs for individual artists and arts organisations and includes Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the arts
The Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) is the publishing arm of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), the world’s premier institution for information and research about the cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, past and present.
artsACT is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. Links provided are not an endorsement of the sites' content or the entities related to those sites.
Image: Ngadhu bandali ngurambang gu, an exhibition by Rechelle Turner (Wiradjuri) at Tuggeranong Arts Centre. Photo by Pew Pew Studio.