Published 16 September 2024
The City of Bunbury and Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation (GKB) have partnered to strengthen efforts in identifying opportunities for the First Nations arts community.
The City and GKB have formally entered into a Memorandum of Understanding, setting out strategic objectives to grow the City’s Noongar Arts Program in collaboration with First Nations people.
Funded by the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program, the Noongar Arts Program (NAP) at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery is dedicated to providing participating artists with exhibition opportunities, retail space, and professional development support to enhance their practice.
Under this new partnership, the City and GKB will aim to collaborate on the expansion and growth of NAP regionally while still being driven from Bunbury, development opportunities for local artists, enhancing alignment and engagement with the Noongar Arts community, and further funding opportunities, among other objectives.
A focus of the partnership will be achieving meaningful engagement with the Noongar Arts community.
The City and GKB have already started investigating options, including developing joint funding applications and engagement opportunities.
CEO and Mayor excited about partnership
"The ongoing spiritual connection to our country and the opportunity to represent that connection through visual arts is vital to the cultural core of our people," Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation CEO Bruce Jorgensen said.
"We are excited to be part of this initiative that celebrates that connection and supports the ongoing and viable practice of the Noongar Art Program.
"We thank the Mayor and the City of Bunbury for the proactive engagement, and we look forward toour two organisations walking together as we continue to build a strong relationship."
Bunbury Mayor Jaysen Miguel said the City was thrilled and proud to formally partner with Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation to enhance and grow such a vital initiative in the Noongar Arts Program.
"Most importantly, the Noongar Arts community will benefit greatly from this MOU, and I look forward to seeing more opportunities for the incredible, local First Nations artists we have here in Bunbury and the South West," Mayor Miguel said.
"A big thank you to Bruce and the GKB team for joining forces with the City, and while we’ve had discussions and worked together previously, I’m excited to see this partnership thrive."