Imagining an Indigenous led performing arts venue

What sort of programming might a First Nations Arts Centre offer, and how would its operations, even its architecture, differ to existing venues?

Image: Dhumba Wiiny (‘fire talk’) as part of Weelam Ngalut at Yirramboi.

Australia has over 100 performing arts centres, ranging from remote regional centres to major venues such as Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne. But while such venues present a rich array of work annually, the percentage of works by Indigenous Australians they program is minimal, according to figures released last year by the Australia Council for the Arts.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts