Expressions of Interest closed 12:00pm on Friday 9 May 2025.
Canberra Pōneke Indigenous Artist Exchange 2025
The Canberra Pōneke Indigenous Artist Exchange will provide the opportunity for an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artist to spend four-weeks in Pōneke (Wellington), Aotearoa (New Zealand), working in a new environment and engaging with Māori culture, the Wellington arts sector and the wider community.
The residency provides the opportunity for research and development and there is no outcome expectation for the artist, such as production of new work, presentation of an exhibition, or the facilitation of workshops. However, some level of engagement with Māori culture, the sector and the wider community is expected.
The artist will be housed at Te Whare Hēra from 31 October – 30 November 2025. The facility is a partnership between Massey University and Wellington City Council that supports artists to research, develop and produce new contemporary works.
A Māori artist from Wellington will be given the same opportunity to come to Canberra over the same period. The artist will be hosted by an organisation receiving Arts Organisation Investment Program funding, or other institution with connection to the ACT Government. This will include use of relevant facilities, access to studio space and the organisation being a key point of contact during their stay. The organisation chosen will be dependent on the artform of the Wellington artist.
Each artist will be welcomed in the hosting city with introductions made to community leaders, artists, arts organisations and national cultural institutions facilitated by artsACT and Wellington City Council.
The successful applicant will receive funding to cover the cost of the program including:
- Return economy class flights and travel insurance for one person from Canberra to Wellington.
- An artist fee (Based on the NAVA payment standards for a one-month period of research and development. Early Career $4,500; Mid-Career $5,500; Established Artist $6,500)
- Meals and Incidentals in Wellington (Based on the ATO rate of $230 per day for overseas travel to New Zealand in 2024-25)
- Project costs up to $1,500 (for material costs, production or exhibition expenses etc.)
2025 Artists
Alinta Barlow
Anita is a Ngunnawal artist currently engaged in multiple roles that support and promote Indigenous cultural expression. She teaches the Certificate II in Cultural Arts at the Yurauna Centre, Canberra Institute of Technology and also works as the Embedding Programs Officer at Belconnen Arts Centre. Through these roles, she has developed a deep appreciation for learning about Indigenous cultures, which continues to inspire and inform her artistic practice.
An established musician, Alinta began exploring her cultural heritage through visual arts at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, she has scaled back her musical performances and embraced visual arts as a complementary and therapeutic creative outlet.
Jamie Berry
Jamie is a multidisciplinary artist of Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, and Ngāti Ruanui descent. Her work explores Aotearoa histories and reflects on her identity and place within the current timeline. Originally from Tūranganui-a-kiwa and now residing in Pōneke, Jamie's practice is grounded in her whakapapa and focuses on the past, present, and future.
She reimagines stories through various mediums, including digital content, DNA soundscapes, moving images, and installations. Jamie's artistic journey includes exploring visual elements like light, colour, movement, and motifs. She is known for using light in dark spaces to create dramatic impressions of movement and life, often paired with resonant audio soundscapes that drive the narrative.
Canberra Pōneke Indigenous Artist Exchange 2019
In 2019, artsACT and Wellington City Council’s City Arts and Events team worked together to pilot the Canberra Pōneke Indigenous Artist Exchange. The Exchange supported Canberra-based visual artist Dean Cross and Wellington-based artist Ana Iti to undertake a six-week residency in each other’s city.
Pictured from left to right: Former Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand, Patricia Forsythe, Dean Cross, Ana Iti. Photo by Wellington City Council.