Three indigenous creatives win international residency
Torres Strait Islander artist Alick Tipoti with his Mawa Adhaz Parul (Sorcerer Masks). Photo: Kerry Trapnell
Three talented Indigenous Queenslanders will travel to the UK in November to further hone their creative skills.
Alick Tipoti, Kevin O’Brien and Marilyn Miller have been accepted into the prestigious ACCELERATE Indigenous Australian Creative Leadership program.
This innovative residency program will send seven of Australia’s most outstanding Indigenous artists and arts workers to take part in intensive leadership industry placements in Australia and in the UK.
The selection of these three creatives is a testament to the fact that Queensland’s Indigenous arts sector is very strong, with some talented people keen to step up and lead the next generation.
The ACCELERATE Indigenous Australian Creative Leadership program, now in its second year, is a joint initiative by the British Council Australia and the Australia Council for the Arts with additional funding from the New South Wales, Victorian and Western Australia Governments and Virgin Atlantic Airways. The Queensland Government contributes $25 000 in funding through Arts Queensland.
The aim of the program is to boost the number of Indigenous representatives in positions of influence within the creative sector, and to empower them to promote positive cultural change within the industry and their own communities.
Alick Tipoti is one of the Torres Strait Island’s most renowned and widely respected artists.
He says ACCELERATE will allow him to research Torres Strait Island artefacts, network with galleries, museums and universities, view major collections and most importantly, represent and promote Torres Strait Island Art.
“I feel that it’s important for me to share my experience and insights gained from my residency with my people back home on the islands, and continue our ongoing connection with the UK art world,” Alick says.
Kevin O’Brien is an architect and founder of Kevin O’Brien Architects in Brisbane. He graduated from the University of Queensland (UQ) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Architecture, in 2006 with a Master of Philosophy (by design) and was a Churchill Fellow in 2000. He is also a member of the art+place Curatorial Panel.
Marilyn Miller is a highly regarded director, dancer and choreographer. She is also an actor, artistic director and an arts administrator. Marilyn plans on visiting some of the UK’s top dance companies including Akram Khan Company, Siobhan Davies, Wayne McGregor, and mentoring by Hilary Carty, just to name a few.
“I am looking forward to the knowledge I can gain and the ways in which I can implement that knowledge to benefit the Indigenous performing arts, and Indigenous contemporary dance specifically,” Marilyn says.
To find out more information about ACCELERATE visit the Arts Frontier website.
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