First Nations Cultural Centres

The Queensland Government has announced the development of a business case to consider a First Nations Cultural Centre in Cairns. This extends the consideration of an iconic First Nations Cultural Centre in Brisbane, with a second centre acknowledging Cairns as an important gateway to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island cultures of Far North Queensland, and will complement the development of a business case for the Brisbane based centre to be delivered as part of the SEQ City Deal.

It is anticipated that the Brisbane and Cairns centres would be places to share the history, stories and truth telling of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and act as hubs that connect with First Nations communities across the state, including the network of Indigenous Art Centres and other significant sites and locations throughout Queensland.

The potential for two First Nations Cultural Centres in Queensland will elevate First Nations art as a key priority of the Queensland Government’s Creative Together 2020-2030: A 10-year Roadmap for arts, culture and creativity in Queensland, celebrate First Nations arts and cultures ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and create employment and skills development opportunities.

First Nation-led engagement with Traditional Owners and First Nations arts and cultural stakeholders across Queensland will be a priority throughout the development of the business cases for these Centres.

To start this process, Arts Queensland will soon seek to engage the services of a qualified First Nations lead to develop a framework to guide consultation and other packages of work to deliver the business case for the Cairns First Nations Cultural Centre, alongside the First Nations Cultural Centre in Brisbane.

Contact: fncc@arts.qld.gov.au