The four centres are Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place; Wungunja Cultural Centre at Trangie; Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre Aboriginal Corporation at Deniliquin; and Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Corindi.
The co-design funding model is supported by a collaborative partnership involving Create NSW, State Library of NSW and NSW Aboriginal Culture, Heritage & Arts Association (ACHAA), with each partner organisation providing support to the cultural centres to ensure their success. Steve Miller, General Manager ACHAA said the initiative helps close the gaps and implement systems that are missing in collection management, while ensuring work is carried out on Country and managed by the Aboriginal custodians of the collections.
“These valuable cultural collections, some of national significance, connect the centres and their communities to Country, knowledge and their heritage,” Mr Miller said. “The program has helped these centres enormously in terms of employment and regional on-site training, community-country connections and understanding of these collections.” Jeanette Crew OAM, Chairperson of Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre expressed the Centre’s excitement that funding for their digitisation project has been extended for the next two years. “This commitment will mean cultural information can be shared with schools, families and the wider community ensuring Aboriginal culture is not isolated from the local identity of our community,” Ms Crew said.
The collaborative partnership will create a timeless legacy, ensuring Aboriginal communities have ongoing access to heritage, culture and language through community collections. Importantly, as an Aboriginal-led collaborative initiative with expert guidance from the sector, it sets a strong foundation for future projects.
NSW Government announcement 29th November 2022