Our Business 2026: Program
Our Business: Aboriginal Art Centre Forum
Monday 21 September – Thursday 24 September 2026
Miriwoong Country, Kununurra
Presented in association with Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Our Business is AACHWA’s annual Aboriginal art centre forum, bringing together people working across Aboriginal art centres, and the arts and culture industries to share knowledge, develop skills and strengthen connections.
Across four days, the program combines professional development, peer-to-peer learning, practical workshops, presentations, networking and opportunities to celebrate the work of Aboriginal art centres and artists.
Who is the forum for?
- Aboriginal art centre managers, staff and boards
- Arts industry and cultural workers
- Industry partners and supporters
In 2026, don’t miss a new packed program of peer-to-peer learning, workshops and opportunities to connect, share and learn. Explore topics including people management; workforce development; succession planning; Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property; and Stories, Art, Money (SAM); plus digital storytelling; photography; cultural tourism; exhibition planning; public art; product development and customer service.
Hear from key service providers and funding bodies, including Indigenous Art Code, Copyright Agency, Desart (SAM), Creative Workplaces, WA Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (DCITS), Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) and Regional Arts WA, and take the opportunity to meet with them one-on-one.
The program will also feature cultural tours, creative activities, a special sunset dance and feast as well as a fashion parade!
Program Overview
Monday 21 September
Kimberley Grande and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
9:00am | Welcome & Morning Tea
Kimberley Grande
Join us for a Welcome to Country followed by AACHWA and official welcomes before morning tea as Our Business 2026 kicks off.
11:00am | Creative Workshops & Cultural Tour
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a creative workshop or take an art and cultural tour and then in the afternoon undertake the opposite activity.
Group A: Creative Workshops
Be welcomed into the creative hub of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and get to know your fellow forum guests in three workshops showcasing Waringarri Art’s core practices in ceramics, textiles and boab carving.
Facilitators: Desma Mengil (Miriwoong), Jan Griffiths (Miriwoong/Ngarinyman), Anita Churchill (Miriwoong) & Nathan Thomas (Gija), Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Group B: Art & Culture Tour
Experience Miriwoong culture with an interactive experience in the Waringarri Arts ‘Keeping Place, a visit On Country, and seeing local public artworks created by Waringarri artists.
1:00pm | Lunch
Enjoy a complimentary lunch at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.
1:30pm | Continued: Creative Workshops & Cultural Tour
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Participants will continue in their allocated groups for the second activity of the day.
Group A: Art & Cultural Tour
Experience Miriwoong culture with an interactive experience in the Waringarri Arts ‘Keeping Place, a visit On Country, and seeing local public artworks created by Waringarri artists.
Group B: Creative Workshops
Be welcomed into the creative hub of Waringarri Aboriginal Arts and get to know your fellow forum guests in three workshops showcasing Waringarri Art’s core practices in ceramics, textiles and boab carving.
Facilitators: Desma Mengil (Miriwoong), Jan Griffiths (Miriwoong/Ngarinyman), Anita Churchill (Miriwoong) & Nathan Thomas (Gija), Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
4:00pm | Afternoon Tea
Enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.
5:00pm | Dance & Feast
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Enjoy a feast and dance performances from two local groups.
Bali Bali Balga – custodian Alan Griffiths
In the Bali Bali Balga performance, dancers carry large Balmarra on their shoulders. Each Balmarra is a key element of the dance story. The Balmarra in the performance includes the Bali Bali ghost, the constellation of the Seven Sisters, the Morning Star, the Bullo River hills, and two sailing ships.
Wangga and Lirrga
Sometimes these dances are called ‘Rock n Roll’. The Wangga and Lirrga corroborees are danced by both men and women and are energetic celebrations commonly performed publicly. The Wangga and Lirrga came to the Miriwoong people from the Murrin Pattha people of the Port Keats area. Body movements are made in time to the sound of the didgeridoo and clapping sticks. The Lirrga has a faster beat and dancers stomp with the same one foot. The performance is about animal Dreaming stories, such as Mosquito, Brolga and Kangaroo. In the Wangga dancers perform with both feet and the performance is about the little Jarnba men.
Tuesday 22 September
Kimberley Grande
9:00am | Copyright Agency, Indigenous Art Code & Funders
Kimberley Grande – Kimberley Room
9:00am | Indigenous Art Code
Presenter: Anna McLeod, Membership & Compliance Coordinator
9:30am | Copyright Agency
Presenter: Arlette Martin, Visual Arts Business Development Manager
10am | Federal & State Funding Bodies
Presenters: Representatives from the Australian Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program (IVAIS) and WA’s Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (DCITS)
10:40am | Morning tea
Enjoy a complimentary morning tea at Kimberley Grande.
11:00am | RAWA, Lotterywest, AACHWA and other Service Providers
11:00am | Regional Arts WA (RAWA) presentation
Presenters: Carla Steele, Investment Coordinator & Janine Oxenham, First Nations Project Officer
11:15am | Lotterywest presentation
Presenters: Joanna Josephs, Senior Manager- Grants Development and Stewardship
11:30am | AACHWA’s Training and Capacity Building programs
Presenters: Hear about AACHWA’s Our Country Moves Capacity Building, Our Mob Online, Member Services and Our Future Arts Worker Training programs
11:50am | Service and Resource Providers
Presenters: Representatives from Read Write Now and Creative Workplaces discuss their projects and identify opportunities for you or your art centre
11:00am – 1:00pm | One-on-one drop-in consultations: Copyright Agency, Indigenous Art Code, Funders & Service Providers
Kimberley Grande – Boardroom
These one-on-one sessions are available on a drop-in basis for anyone looking to gain advice and guidance from Copyright Agency, Indigenous Art Code, Desart (SAM), Funders & Service providers
12:30pm | Lunch
Enjoy a complimentary lunch at the Kimberley Grande.
Kimberley Grande & Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Workshops | 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Select your preferred workshop session during registration.
Workshop A: Practical studio workshop
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts – studio space
Develop your studio skills and learn industry standards in this practical workshop. Gain fundamental experience in building a stretcher bar frame and canvas stretching, artwork package making and occupational work, health and safety to strengthen day-to-day studio practices.
For: Art centre staff, independent artists
Facilitators: Kenny Griffiths, Duncan Noble, Richard Bloomer & Erinaous Griffiths, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Workshop B: Accessing Public Art Opportunities
Kimberley Grande- Kimberley Room
Gain an understanding of what public art is, the opportunities afforded by the WA Government Percent for Art Scheme, how to apply for opportunities, how to find collaborators and mentors, and understanding your rights as artists.
For: Art centre boards, managers and staff, independent artists
Facilitators: Carolyn Karnovsky & Katrina Longo, Artify Consulting
Workshop C: HR and People Management
Kimberley Grande – Argyle Room
Strengthen your HR and people management skills, with a focus on communication, relationship building, resolving conflict, and building worker engagement, while maintaining culturally safe workplaces. Explore practical approaches to dealing with common Art Centre HR challenges through roleplays, and by sharing experiences and success stories with other participants.
For: Art centre boards, managers & senior staff
Facilitator: Kate Schaffner, Creative Workplaces/ Creative Australia
Workshop D: Planning for Market and Exhibition Opportunities
Waringarri Arts – Dawang Gallery
A collaborative workshop designed to upskill art centre managers and staff in developing effective strategies and systems to identify market opportunities and suitable destinations for artworks. Participants will also explore approaches to developing and allocating artworks and identifying artists to achieve the most impactful cultural, social, and commercial outcomes.
For: Art centre boards, managers and staff
Facilitator: Glenn Iseger-Pilkington (Nhanda Yamatji & Nyoongar Peoples), commons of autonomy
What to bring: Photos of 8 artworks recently completed by a mix of established, emerging and senior artists from your art centre.
3pm | Afternoon tea
Enjoy a complimentary afternoon tea at your workshop venue.
4:30pm | End
Wednesday 23 September
Kimberley Grande – Kimberley Room
9:00am – 4:00pm | Art Centre Showcase
Kimberley Grande – Kimberley Room
Hear from art centres about how they are enhancing their communities through promoting and facilitating opportunities, as well as connecting and growing new audiences, including through cultural tourism.
Panel topics include:
- The Role of Art Centres
- Culture Shared is Culture Continued
- Art Centres & Tourism
The program also includes live music and a language activity from Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre.
9:00am – 4:00pm | Drop-in consultations: Copyright Agency, Indigenous Art Code, Desart (SAM), Funders & Service providers
Kimberley Grande – Argyle Room
These one-on-one sessions are available on a drop-in basis for anyone looking to gain advice and guidance from Copyright Agency, Indigenous Art Code, Desart (SAM), Funders & Service providers.
4:30pm – 7:30pm | Sundowner & Waringarri Fashion Show
Kimberley Grande
Celebrate three days of conversations and knowledge sharing as we join the Tourism Connect Conference delegates at a sundowner featuring a fashion parade showcasing Waringarri Arts’ new collection Boonkaj II.
This celebration will be followed by an AACHWA catered dinner for all forum attendees at the Kimberley Grande.
Thursday 24 September
Kimberley Grande / Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
Workshops | 9:00am – 4:00pm
Select your preferred workshop session during registration.
*Please note, only Workshop C and D will be at Kimberley Grande. All other workshops will be at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.
Workshop A: Product Development, Gallery and Shop Display and Customer Service
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts – Dawang Gallery
Learn about the journey of product development and what to consider along the way, as well as ways to best display and communicate your art works and products. Finish the day with some handy tips for customer service and digital labelling.
For: Art centre managers and staff
Facilitators: Melanie Faragher, AACHWA Make It Real and Anna Peake, Waringarri Aboriginal Arts, Desart (Digital Labelling)
Workshop B: Embracing Instagram and Digital Photography
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts – Studio Space
A hands-on workshop on how to best utilise Instagram and its features to promote your art centre, artists and artworks, followed by a session on how photography can be used to capture, build and share stories, and promote you or yourart centre. We highly recommend bringing your own camera if you have one.
For: Art centre staff, independent artists
Facilitator: Eduardo Morales, Notre Dame University and Tim Lanzon
What to bring: When registering for the forum, please let us know if you need AACHWA to provide any of the items below.
- Smart phone
- DSLR camera and/or iPad
Workshop C: Workforce Development Strategies for Art Centres
Kimberley Grande – Argyle Room
Hear from art centre managers and board directors as they share their own journeys and approaches to workforce development and leadership transition.
Meet one-on-one, ‘expo’ style, with AACHWA’s training and capacity building staff, Creative Workplaces, Read Write Now and other service and resource providers. This knowledge gathering will be followed by an interactive collaborative workshop that will allow participants to create a workforce development strategy tailored to their art cente’s unique needs and context.
For: Art centre managers & board members
Facilitator: Cathy Cummins, CC Projects
Workshop D: Practical Succession Planning for Organisational Continuity
Kimberley Grande – Boardroom
Start the day with a presentation from art centre managers and board directors about their own journeys and approaches to workforce development and leadership transition.
Then engage in a highly practical workshop that supports participants to identify key person dependencies, clarify the roles of Boards and Management, and begin developing a practical succession planning approach tailored to their own organisation. Participants will leave with practical tools, templates and a clear action plan to strengthen the long-term sustainability of their art centre.
For: Art centre managers & board members
Facilitator: Madelaine Fisher, Myu Consulting
11:00am | Morning tea
Enjoy a complimentary morning tea at your workshop venue.
1:00pm | Lunch
Enjoy a complimentary lunch at your workshop venue.
4:00pm | End
Please Note: The event schedule, speakers, presentations, sessions and activities are subject to change. AACHWA will notify those registered of any changes to the program.
Presenters & facilitators
Cathy Cummins
A capability development consultant who has been living and working on Miriwoong Country for more than 30 years. Previously manager at Waringarri Arts from 2002 – 2022, beginning that role with 1 x PT staff member. When she handed over the reins, there were more than 20 arts workers employed at the centre.
Cathy Cummins is now a writer and freelance consultant supporting community arts and cultural enterprise development and long-term sustainability.
Eduardo Morales
Eduardo Morales, a marketing strategist and educator who lectures in social media marketing at Notre Dame. He has led growth at the creative marketplace Depop, worked with brands including Nike, and has built several businesses on Instagram from scratch. He currently runs his own business, Terra Tanks, where he has used social media to grow to over 45K followers and build a six-figure business in less than 1 year.
Glenn Iseger-Pilkington
Glenn Iseger-Pilkington (Nhanda and Noongar Peoples/Dutch/Scottish) is a curator, cultural strategist, writer and senior arts manager with more than 20 years of experience across visual arts, cultural leadership, community engagement and national advocacy. Glenn’s career spans senior positions at Fremantle Arts Centre, Western Australian Museum, Art Gallery of Western Australia, South Australian Museum, national First Nations visual arts initiatives and major government cultural projects in Western Australia.
Madelaine Fisher
Madelaine Fisher is Director of Myu Consulting and a governance consultant specialising in organisational governance, leadership and capacity building. She partners with boards, executive leaders and not-for-profits to build practical governance capability through facilitation, strategic planning and organisational development. Her work combines strong governance with a strengths-based, people-centred approach, providing organisations with practical tools, greater confidence and lasting capability.
Taylor Bamin
Taylor Bamin is a Gamilaraay woman from Moree, Mungindi and Coonabarabran, currently living on Jagera Country. Taylor is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Thanbarran.
Taylor is an experienced Indigenous employment and people practitioner with senior-level expertise across workforce strategy, recruitment, workplace relations, cultural safety, leadership capability and organisational systems. Her experience spans higher education and large, complex national research environments, where she has worked with leaders and people teams to strengthen culturally informed employment practices and workplace experiences.
Through Thanbarran, Taylor brings together Indigenous lived experience, culturally informed knowledge and practical people-management expertise. Her work supports leaders and organisations to navigate complex workplace challenges in ways that are culturally informed, relational and grounded in the experiences of the people affected.
Tim Lanzon
Tim Lanzon has been a photographer for around 15 years, with the last 6 of those years spent in the Kimberley on Miriwoong Country.
“My passion is people, and my love is fashion photography. Being in the Kimberley has opened the door to the abundance of Aboriginal fashion excellence that exists. Being able to tell a story, through my lens and my editing has been a privilege, one that I don’t take for granted. I am a Nikon camera lover, and Sigma Art lens fan. More recently I have recently moved into Sony gear for videography – something I am enjoying as part of my story telling.”
Artify Consulting
Artify is a Perth-based consultancy specialising in the planning, curation, design, production and management of public art and cultural projects. Founded and led by Carolyn Karnovsky, Artify is known for delivering culturally sensitive and strategically grounded public art programs that balance creative ambition with practical delivery. Their work spans creative strategy, curatorial development, community engagement, artist mentoring and project delivery across public infrastructure, civic, commercial and community settings.
Carolyn Karnovsky
As founder and Director of Artify, Carolyn Karnovsky brings over two decades of experience leading public art and cultural projects across Australia. Carolyn is a creative strategist, facilitator and collaborator, specialising in public art visioning, curation, art master planning, project management and the development of culturally informed engagement and capacity-building strategies. Her practice is grounded in collaboration—working closely with artists, First Nations communities, clients and multidisciplinary design teams to deliver meaningful, place-responsive public art outcomes.
Katrina Longo
Katrina Longo is an arts worker and writer based in Boorloo. As Project & Curatorial Lead with Artify consulting, she specialises in art strategy development, artist advocacy, and best-practice artwork commissioning and producing. Her background in interior architecture informs her collective approach to the development of thoughtful art projects in the public realm.
With over a decade of professional experience garnered across Western Australia and abroad, Katrina has contributed to a diverse range of art projects, creative programs, and contemporary gallery exhibitions working across non-profit, public, and private art sectors. Her practice is grounded in building meaningful relationships with artists and collaborators and working to expand the field of representation in public arts.
Copyright Agency
The Copyright Agency is an Australian not-for-profit organisation that has been standing up for creators for 50 years. They serve and connect creators and users by providing artwork reproduction licenses and solutions that deliver fair compensation and support the evolving needs of users.
Creative Australia / Creative Workplaces
Creative Australia is the Australian Government’s principal arts investment and advisory body. They invest in creative people and organisations and help build audiences and markets for Australian creative work, both in Australia and internationally.
Kate Schaffner
Kate has been the Director of Creative Workplaces since 2024, shortly after the establishment of Creative Workplaces was announced. Kate is an experienced workplace relations professional, leader and people manager.
Waringarri Arts
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts is a living, growing art centre celebrating the uniqueness of Miriwoong cultural identity.
Desma Mengil, artist & facilitator
Jan Griffiths, artist & facilitator
Jan Gunjaka Griffiths is a dedicated and prolific artist primarily working across painting, ceramics and poetry. Her work explores personal family narratives which have also included multi-media installations, fashion and photography.
“I was born in Kununurra and I went to school in Broome. I started painting at Waringarri Arts in 2015 to carry on the stories of my parents, Peggy and A. Griffiths – the cultural stories that were handed down to them and now to me. Both my parents are famous artists in the Kimberley but most importantly, they are my traditional teachers. I too can keep our tradition alive and hand the stories of our ancestors and how our country came to be, down to the next generation and generations to come. I do this with great pride and honour. I am a multi-disciplinary artist and my arts practice includes paintings, poetry, ceramics and couture fashion. “
Jan has exhibited extensively and presented ceramic demonstrations at galleries and festivals within Australia such as the Ceramics Triennial. She was a finalist in the 2018 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), the 2020 Indigenous Fashion Awards, and exhibited at the 2021 Indian Ocean Craft Triennial.
Anita Churchill, artist & facilitator
Anita was born and grew up in Kununurra. She has three children and began working at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in 2008 as an Artist Support worker. Her arts practice includes painting, photography, textile printing, woodcarving and performance. She learns stories and skills from her elders. Her current passion is textile printing.
Nathan Thomas, artist & facilitator
Kenny Griffiths, artist & facilitator
Richard Bloomer, artist, arts worker & facilitator
Richard Bloomer was born in Darwin and lives in Kununurra. He began working at Waringarri Aboriginal Arts as a studio support worker in 2011. Since then, he has increased his responsibilities to become the freight and work studio manager. Richard is an accomplished woodcarver, has produced wood block prints and is a key artist representing the traditional Kimberley practice of boab engraving. He has been a key artist in several Waringarri Aboriginal Arts’ collaborative art commissions.
Erinaous Griffiths, artist & facilitator
Travel & Accommodation
Travel and accommodation offers have now closed.
Please contact us directly henry@aachwa.com.au if you have any questions.
Register for Our Business 2026
Ready to join us in Kununurra? Use the button below to be redirected to our Humanitix event page, where you can view the ticket options and register for the forum.
View the Terms & Conditions >
If you have any questions, please get in touch with our team
Our Business: Aboriginal Art Centre Forum 2026 is presented by AACHWA in association with Waringarri Aboriginal Arts. It is proudly funded by WA Government’s Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (CITS) through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP); Australian Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program (IVAIS) and National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA); Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley and Mid West Development Commission.
The forum is also supported by program partners Creative Australia, Indigenous Art Code, Copyright Agency, Desart (SAM), East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Regional Arts WA; and accommodation and venue partner Kimberley Grande.
