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Issue no. 46 / October 2021
Dancers from the Kimberley region standing on the Ngurrara Canvas at the Ngurrara native title determination at Pirnini near the Kurlku community in the Great Sandy Desert. Photo: AAP Image/Supplied by Kimberley Land Council.
‘ART IS OUR VOICE’ Why the government needs to support First Nations arts, not just sport, in the pandemic By Angelina Hurley This article contains mentions of the Stolen Generations.
The golden rule when organising an arts event with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is to never hold it at the same time as a sports event. If there is a choice between attending one or the other, chances are our mob are going to that footy game. Maintaining support for the arts is hard and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more difficult. There have been many discussions about the preferential treatment given to sports during the pandemic, while heavy restrictions are applied to arts and cultural events. While NAIDOC week celebrations were cancelled, the football is still operating. There is annoyance at the complaining commentary about the inconveniences football codes have suffered, not to mention the anger towards the players who don’t follow restrictions. In the wake of every lockdown, my emails and social media feeds have been flooded with cancellations and closures from local to state theatres, festivals, museums, galleries, residencies, conferences, and workshops. Most temporarily, but some permanent.
Art as voice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is the first art of this nation, an ancient visual gift of culture and learning. It communicates history, story, and language.