- Half a million dollars in grants for 20 First Nations' arts
and culture projects
- Connecting to Country 2023 to 2024 recipients each granted
up to $25,000
- Supported activities include
painting, storytelling, language preservation, traditional craft and song and
dance, taking place on-Country across regional Western Australia and
metropolitan Perth
The State Government's
Connecting to Country grant program is continuing to support Western
Australia's Aboriginal people and organisations to transfer knowledge between
generations and preserve culture with 20 projects receiving up to $25,000 this
year.
A total of $500,000 will
be distributed for on-Country activities across the Kimberley, Mid West,
Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance, Pilbara, Wheatbelt, Great Southern, South West
and in metropolitan Perth, with projects to strengthen communities starting
from May 2024.
The recipients sharing the funding are:
- Mantjiljarra
Yulparirra Pty Ltd, $25,000 for native flora identification;
- Edmund
Rice Centre WA Inc, $24,966 for Kadijinny Boodjar;
- Wanjira
Nangirany Cultural Foundation LTD, $25,000 for Karajarri Cultural
Revitalisation and Community Strengthening project;
- Ngalla
Yorga Waangkan Aboriginal Corporation, $24,500 for intergenerational knowledge sharing;
- Warmun
Art Aboriginal Corporation, $25,000 for the 2024 Gija Connecting to Country program;
- Theona
Councillor, $24,975 for 170th anniversary of the massacre at Pelican Springs;
- Undalup
Association Inc, $23,875 for Kaartijin Yerunga Boodja - Knowledge on Country;
- Yawuru Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation, $24,881 for response
to Jijawiliwili Niyamarri (shell hill/midden) Buru (Country);
- Rohan
Collard, $25,000 for Maaman Kaatadjin Boodja Bidi;
- Vernice
Gillies, $25,000 for Koomal Maat (Possum Tracks) Cultural Learning Project;
- Community
Arts Network Wes Australia Ltd, $25,000 for Unfinished Business;
- City
of Melville, $25,000 for Connection to Country camp with Willagee Youth Drop-in;
- Tara
Gower, $25,000 for contemporary Indigenous dance program;
- Ngarlawangga
Aboriginal Corporation, $25,000 for Back to Country fieldtrip;
- Kalyuku
Ninti - Puntuku Ngurra Limited, $25,000 for Wuurlkurramartaji - The Story of
Belonging to Wuurlkurra;
- Mirning
Traditional Lands Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, $24,940 for Mirning Language
Revitalisation Strategy;
- Kimberley
Language Resource Centre (Aboriginal Corporation), $25,000 for language and culture
on Country;
- Studio
Schools of Australia Ltd, $24,570 for healing and lessons on Country;
- Mara
Arts Aboriginal Corporation, $25,000 for Banggumarrijimanha Barna - Coming
together on Country;
- Yanunijarra
Aboriginal Organisation RNTBC, $25,000 for Ngurrara Connecting to Country camp.
The intention of the
Connecting to Country program is to:
- facilitate sharing of cultural knowledge and skills between generations,
such as the preservation of language, stories and dance;
- recognise Aboriginal cultural leadership within the Aboriginal community
and support leadership development in young people;
- contribute to stronger community mental health and wellbeing; and
- strengthen, protect and maintain traditional ways of maintaining
cultural knowledge.
More information about Connecting to Country can be found on
the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website:
https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/funding/arts-funding/connecting-to-country
Comments attributed to Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"The Cook Government is
proud to provide half a million dollars in funding for First Nations led
projects that preserve the world's oldest living culture here in WA, from
regional remote places to Boorloo (Perth).
"Connecting to Country is
about strengthening Aboriginal communities and encouraging intergenerational
knowledge sharing.
"Among 20 projects - each
receiving up to $25,000 in 2024 - there are activities such as painting, story
sharing, traditional craft and much more that will take place right across
Western Australia.
"As we approach National
Reconciliation Week, it's important to recognise the path of walking together.
Supporting preservation of Aboriginal language, truth telling, art, song and
dance is a significant way to protect and maintain traditional culture."
Comments attributed
to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti:
"These grants honour
and celebrate Aboriginal culture in Western Australia and help keep the stories
alive.
"It is fantastic to
see the Cook Government investing in on-Country initiatives from the Kimberley
to the South West."