CURATORS PROGRAM

Held over five days in May, the program offered participants an immersive experience with leading institutions including Art Gallery of South Australia, Artlab, JamFactory, and Flinders University Museum of Art. Participants explored collection management, exhibition design, curatorial processes, and the ethical responsibilities that come with working with First Nations stories and artworks.

A major focus of the program was supporting best practice approaches to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP). In alignment with the goals of the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program, the 2025 First Nations Curators Program promoted:

• The recognition and protection of First Nations artists’ rights, including traditional knowledge and cultural expressions

• Awareness around the use, handling, and display of First Nations cultural materials

• Supporting the development of culturally safe curatorial practices led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Conversations with established cultural leaders including Dr Jared Thomas supported participants in understanding the complex responsibilities that come with curating First Nations work—particularly in how to uphold ICIP and ensure cultural authority, permission, and appropriate attribution.

Curator and program mentor Marika Davies, a proud Wangkangurru woman, reflected on the significance of curatorial work in maintaining and sharing cultural knowledge: “By supporting a new cohort of First Nations curators, we can safeguard stories for the next generation. Artists creating on-country can connect with First Nations curators; we are culture keepers.”

The 2025 Curators Program not only revived a key Ku Arts initiative last delivered in 2013, but also laid the foundation for a new generation of curators to shape the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts in South Australia—guided by cultural integrity, creative ambition, and a commitment to protecting ICIP.

Ku Arts acknowledges the support of our funding partners whose commitment enables our continued delivery of services and programs to benefit Aboriginal artists in South Australia. The 2025 First Nations Curators Program has been made possible through the support of our funding partner, Australian Government, Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) Program.