ADC Annual Report 2021

First Nations Programs
First Nations craft and design continues to be central to Australian Design
Centre’s creative program. As the oldest continuous living culture in the world,
our role supporting First Nations artists, and creating opportunities for audiences
Australia-wide to experience and engage with Indigenous culture, is manifestly
important in our programming.
First Nations artists participate across programming and through ongoing
research projects and specific initiatives.
A platform for First Nations programs continues to be the local cultural landmark
on Gadigal Land - the Gadigal mural.
The Bawrrungga Project
Gumbayngirr artists worked on country in the mid-north coast town of Bowraville
to develop and complete a body of contemporary jewellery which was sold
exclusively through Object Shop.
The professional workshop was attended by nine local artists who were
introduced to jewellery making techniques including saw piercing, metal texturing,
heat patination, cold-joining, making jewellery findings and air-dry clay beads,
knotting and cordage, all with a focus on working with natural materials including
locally collected native timber and shells.
This is the third Indigenous Jewellery Project (IJP) workshop that Australian Design
Centre has produced in partnership with IJP founding curator Emily McCulloch
Childs and leading contemporary jeweller Melinda Young.
First Nations Creative Producer
Futhering our successful experiences with the role of First Nation Creative
Producer in 2018 and 2019, we plan to again fill this role in 2022 with funding from
Create NSW.
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