Our Future November 2025
The Our Future: Aboriginal Arts Worker Training Program supports Aboriginal arts workers from regional and remote WA to build new skills and grow their knowledge of the arts sector.
In November, the metro part of the program took place on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar in Boorloo (Perth). The 10-day intensive program was hosted at North Metro TAFE where the arts workers completed written coursework, practical training and industry-based learning, and featured excursions and experiences at major arts and cultural institutions across the city.
Meet the Arts Workers
The program began with a Welcome to Country, smoking and cultural tour at Karrgatup (Kings Park), led by Walter and Meg McGuire of Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences.
The intensive program was full of tours and workshops, offering insights into key aspects of the arts industry in Boorloo. Highlights included:
- WA Museum Boola Bardip (WAM): A tour of the permanent exhibitions on display, including a chance to connect with key members of the WAM team including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project team members, the Regions director and the Manager of Regional and Strategic Projects. There was a session with the WAM shop team learning about their collaborations with art centres and their retail processes. The day rounded out with a visit to the Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor Exhibition.
- WA Museum Collection Store: a tour with the objects and artefacts in the collection, including a practical session on collection management, condition reporting, and preservation practices.
- Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA): A session with AGWA design store team on their retail strategies and collaborative processes. The arts workers had a chance to hear from the curator of Balancing Act, an exhibition featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander works of art from the State Art Collection. They visited Gallery 9’s interactive, artist-led project, had a practical session on what makes a good artist statement, and an information session about the gallery’s collection management practices including how they protect Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property.
- Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art: a tour of the art collection on display at the Wesfarmers building in Perth City, led by collection manager Helen Carroll.
- At North Metro TAFE, arts workers expanded their skills through a blend of written, theoretical and practical learning, working towards a Certificate II in Visual Arts. The units explored arts administration, exhibition curation and installation techniques, workplace health and safety, as well as exploring a new creative process of printmaking.
The program aims to position arts workers as future leaders in the Aboriginal arts sector. The cohort’s experience at WA Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia provided essential training in curatorial strategies, collection preservation and management, and installation practices. These experiences inform the written coursework and practical training completed at the North Metro TAFE, facilitated by TAFE lecturer Jacky Cheng. The arts workers honed their ability in art administration, exhibition curation, working collaboratively as a curatorium, learning key roles in the creation, display, installation, and management of art exhibitions and art centres. The creative potential of the arts workers was also nurtured through a printmaking workshop.
We congratulate three returning arts workers – Alysha Taylor and Sarafina Dickie (Martumili Artists) and Henry Farmer (Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjara Art) – who finished the Our Future training with the metro leg of the program.
We thank our valued partners WA Museum and Art Gallery of WA for their continued support of the program. Special thanks to the WA Museum team Katie, Leanne, Georgia, Rebecca, Laura, Jess, Annie, Carmela, Deb and Marlia. And special thanks to the Art Gallery of WA team Carly, Thalia, Belinda, Aston, Lilly and Mahala.
The Our Future program is proudly supported by the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (DCITS) through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP) and is delivered in partnership with North Metropolitan TAFE.
We also thank the following organisations and arts professionals for being part of our November 2025 program: Walter & Meg McGuire Go Cultural Aboriginal Tours & Experiences, St Catherine’s College UWA, Helen Carroll Wesfarmers Collection of Australian Art, Jacky Cheng, Dallas Perry, Brendan Hibbert, Christoph Schnell, Predrag Delibasich, Gina Capes, Keanu at the Koolark Centre, and Lincoln Mackinnon.
