TORRES NEWS THURSDAY 25 MAY 2023
Entries open for 2023 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award Entries are now open for the 2023 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award (GTIAA), proudly supported by the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA). Chairperson Mr Napau Pedro Stephen AM said they were proud to support the return of the awards after a prolonged COVID-19 hiatus. “It’s the biggest event on the Gab Titui Cultural Centre’s exhibition and events calendar, attracting attention from leading cultural institutions and prominent Indigenous curators and artists,” he said. “This year, winning artists will share in $37,000 worth of prizes, including the $10,000 first prize. “A new award category has been introduced to celebrate and showcase the incredible jewellers and textile weavers in the region who will compete for a prize of $2000 and be awarded for Best Contemporary Jewellery Work.” Renowned curator, Indigenous arts advocate and proud Nunukul woman Avril Quaill has joined the 2023 GTIAA as this year’s guest judge. She is the current the First Nations Engagement Principal at the Queensland Museum and Chair of the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) Indigenous
2018 Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award. Pic by NMA. Advisory Committee. “Ms Quaill’s extensive experience and knowledge of Indigenous arts make her an ideal guest judge for the awards,” Chair Stephen said. “She will lead a panel of cultural advisors in the judging process to identify works that personify culture, provoke conversation and are visually stunning.” To enter the 12th GTIAA, local Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal artists and craftsmen, living within the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area, can submit one entry in any medium, that has been created in the last year, and has not been exhibited before. Entries close on Friday, 21 July
(5pm), and the exhibition will open with an awards presentation on Thursday, 2 November, 2023. The Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award was established as an initiative of the Torres Strait Regional Authority’s Culture, Art, and Heritage Programme to provide opportunity to local artists wishing to increase their exhibition experience and exposure nationally. For more information about the Gab Titui Indigenous Art Award or to submit an entry, please contact: Leitha Assan, Exhibitions and Public Programmes Manager, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, 07 4069 0873, leitha.assan@tsra.gov.au or call 07 4069 0888.
NEWS 05 Funds tie leadership to drought and fire control As part of the Torres Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance (TCICA) and under the Cape York NRM umbrella, the three regional Councils covering the NPA and Torres Strait will take a share in funds to mitigate drought and fire in the coming months. The funds, from the Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) and the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) come under a Cape York Torres Water Project and a Cape York Torres Fire Project. The initiatives seek to help agriculture-dependent communities in regions across remote, rural, and regional Australia that are vulnerable to the impacts of drought and fire become more prepared for and resilient to these impacts. The Cape York Torres Water Project aims to increase skills, knowledge and understanding of the risks posed by drought through the delivery of a water education program and activating a co-designed community-led strategic water security plan. The Cape York Torres Fire Project seeks to improve capability, coordination, and collaboration between professional, social and
community networks, which can be drawn upon in future drought, through the delivery of a series of fire prevention training activities, events and forums. Over the past three months FRRR and ARLF have worked closely with local community partner lead organisations to identify projects such as events, training and workshops, which local groups in the region can implement to create opportunities for communities. Each of the regions being funded will also receive access to tailored ARLF leadership development activities. Lead organisations can choose between one of five leadership development activities, depending on their projects and local priorities. ARLF CEO, Matt Linnegar, says leadership development supported the short-term delivery of projects and yielded long-term benefits for the regions. “In addition to the project funding, these leadership development activities are a crucial investment in building the social capital required to support the project and each region,” he said. The projects will be completed by June 2025.
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