Indigenous art centres play a very strong role in Far North Queensland communities. They have a positive, welcoming atmosphere. As well as being a workplace for artists, they are meeting places for elders to share their knowledge and stories.

Backing Indigenous Arts is helping art centres to contribute to strong and productive communities. BIA funding has supported training, business planning, the purchase of equipment and accommodation for art centre coordinators.

Backing Indigenous Arts (BIA) is a Queensland Government initiative started in 2007 (with funding of $11.93 million over four years) to build a stronger, more sustainable and ethical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts industry in Queensland. BIA is the only state government initiative of its kind in the country.

BIA will continue to develop a sustainable and ethical Indigenous arts industry in Queensland with total funding of $13.2 million until 2014-2015.

Of this, $5.02 million will go to support Indigenous art centre operations and capital works.

Art centres and hubs

• Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh (Badu Art Centre), Badu Island, Torres Strait
• Bamanga Bubu Ngadimunki Inc, Yalanji Arts, Mossman Gorge
• Erub Erwer Meta (Darnley Island Art Centre), Darnley Island, Torres Strait
• Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Thursday Island, Torres Strait
• Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre, Cardwell
• Hopevale Arts and Cultural Centre, Hope Vale
• Lockhart River Arts, Lockhart River
• Mirndiyan Gununa Aboriginal Corporation, Mornington Island Arts
• Ngalmun Lagau Minaral Arts, Kubin, Moa Island, Torres Strait
• Pormpuraaw Art and Culture Centre, Pormpuraaw
• Wei'num Arts & Crafts Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Corporation, Western Cape Indigenous Arts Hub, Weipa
• Wik & Kugu Arts and Craft Centre, Aurukun
• Wujal Wujal Council, Bana Yirriji Art and Cultural Centre

Cairns region arts hub

Cairns region - Development of an Indigenous arts and cultural hub in Cairns. Cairns is unique in that it has a high Indigenous population, with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and cultural practitioners. However, unlike many communities in Far North Queensland, Cairns does not have an Indigenous Arts Centre to support these artists. Stage One of this initiative was a Feasibility Report involving considerable consultation with Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, cultural practitioners, arts organisations and other potential stakeholders.

With Arts Queensland funding, UMI Arts (external site) was nominated as the lead agency with a brief to engage a consultant to complete the Stage One Feasibility Report. Fieldworx Consultants were engaged in 2010 to undertake this scope of work. Read the Stage One Feasibility Study for a Cairns Indigenous Arts and Cultural Hub (DOC, 1.6MB)