'We're pretty excited, we feel we are making a little bit of an impact and providing Indigenous people with an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes at the National Gallery'
The National Gallery of Australia has opened its doors for it's 7th Indigenous Arts Leadership Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates across the country to have the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and see what's involved when art work arrives at the gallery. The program is supported through Wesfarmers Arts an arts program bringing people and art together.
Delegates from the leadership program are also shown how the National Gallery of Australia engages with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork.
The program started seven years ago with close consultation with Indigenous communities now across ten days, workshops and hands on learning will see the participants achieve significant outcomes in their careers.
Recently another ten delegates graduated from participating in the 2017 program with an Alumni of 84 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people participating in the program over the years.
Senior Curator Franchesca Cubillo says 'We have had such a remarkable group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people come through and we have actually really benefited from having them here with us, they have provided us insight into what takes place in their communities, what takes place with their artist and also the organisation in which they work as well.'
She says 'We gain just as much from this wonderful opportunity as they gain from coming and joining us at the gallery.'
“I am very much committed to ensuring that more and more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are able to represent their own people, their own art, their own communities and their own cultures to the broader community.”
The delegates will hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Arts leaders and specialists in their field but also a broader sector to inspire and challenge them to take their own careers, art practice and own personal journey for them to explore and share in their community and the world.
Franchesca says "We're pretty excited, we feel we are making a little bit of an impact and providing Indigenous people with an understanding of what goes on behind the scenes at the National Gallery, but also encouraging them and assisting them in their career development and assisting them their desire to work in this exciting area,' she says 'I am very much committed to ensuring that more and more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander are able to represent their own people, their own art, their own communities and their own cultures to the broader community."
