Walawaani
"Shoalhaven Regional Gallery acknowledges the First Nations peoples who have an unbroken connection to the lands upon which we work, including the Wodi Wodi, Jerrinja, Wandi Wandian, Budawang, Murramarang and Yuin communities. We offer our respect to the Elders of these communities and seek opportunities to support and learn from the Shoalhaven’s First Nations people and culture. Our vision for contemporary art is inseparable from this acknowledgement," Five Year Strategic Plan.
Shoalhaven Regional Gallery is committed to building culturally safe and inclusive Gallery that creates a welcoming and nurturing space for First Nations artists and communities. We understand this is a continuing process and seek to learn and understand how to be "imperfect allies" with our First Nations staff, communities and artists.
Goals:
• Decolonise our processes through listening, consultation, collaboration and respect
• Build deep roots by working with young people, emerging and established artists
• Be First Nations led, create space for self-determination and respect cultural autonomy
• Forge deep, authentic and long-term connections and engagements
• Create welcoming and culturally safe experiences and spaces
• Dismantle cultural, language and economic barriers that could hinder First Nations engagement
Initiatives to support these goals:
• Over the next five years we aim to expand the number of First Nations staff to create sustainable careers for First Nations artists and communities and regard employing a First Nations staff as a priority. Recognising the ways in which colonisation has disconnected people from community and culture we commit to developing the confidence and professional development of our staff to take on leadership roles within the organisation and the community.
• Over 2026-2030, and beyond, we will deepen and expand our cultural consultation to create greater space for First Nations led programming and initiatives. In 2025 our work in this area will be led by Jaz Corr, Warwick Keen and Allen Bloxsome who run the Koori Kids Art After School program and select the First Nations artist for the Ngaoara Fellowship. In 2026 we will expand this work by employing a First Nations community leader to work with the Gallery one day a week in a consultative capacity. Creating this role will help ensure the Gallery is a culturally safe place with Aboriginal led forms of consultation and engagement.
• Foster engagement with First Nations art from primary school students and their teachers through HOME, a partnership with Art Gallery of NSW and Department of Education. HOME is a year-long engagement with First Nations artists which includes a teacher training day and a workshop day for students alongside excursions to AGNSW, residencies with First Nations artists and extensive google-class room activities. The artists for HOME were Cheryl Davison and Aunty Deirdre Martin (2025) with artists for future years yet to be determined.
• Launch Koori Kids Art After School program. In 2025 this program was funded by a Museum & Galleries of NSW Audience Development grant and will be managed by Jaz Corr, Warwick Keen and Allen Bloxsome with a guest workshop by Karla Dickens.
• In 2025 we launched the First Nations Exhibition Expression of Interest and mentorship funded by Shoalhaven City Council Reconciliation Action Plan. One aim of this project is to create opportunities for local First Nations artists to help overcome feelings of alienation from the contemporary art world identified by the Yarning Group. Over 2026-2030 we will make this an annual event, now called the Ngaoara Fellowship, providing a funded opportunity for an emerging First Nations artist to have a professionally curated exhibition at the gallery with mentoring by an established First Nations artist.
• In 2025 we launched an annual temporary art commission for a local First Nations artist to create work at our gallery entrance that celebrates language and cultural knowledge. Over 2026-2030 we will commission local First Nations artists to make temporary artworks providing professional opportunities to showcase works and encouraging all our audiences to engage with, and appreciate, First Nations artwork and artists.
• Over the next two years SRG will showcase First Nations artists across all our exhibition programming with the aim of at least one third of the artists in our program identifying as First Nations.
Opening of HOME exhibition, 2025.