Indigenous Arts and Culture

The City of Port Phillip's Arts and Festivals Unit supports Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander arts and culture.

In 1994 the City of Port Phillip was the first Victorian local government to create an Indigenous Arts Unit and an Aboriginal identified arts role. This position promotes the production and inclusion of quality Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island art and cultural programming and content.  

The Indigenous Arts Unit seeks to:

• Promote and include traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander arts and culture within the array of festivals and events within the City of Port Phillip  
• Promote Victorian Aboriginal artists  
• Advocate for the inclusion of Aboriginal arts, artists and cultural content  
• Provide economic development and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people  
• Promote reconciliation.

Eels by Reko Rennie (photo: Bindi Cole)

Council supports Indigenous art within a number of community events including the Yalukit Wilam Ngargee - People Place Gathering, St Kilda Festival, NAIDOC week, plus other Indigenous programs. Council is interested in established high quality works and developing emerging interests from  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and performers based in Victoria. We encourage contemporary work which honours and respects the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities and does not infringe the cultural copyright of other Indigenous communities throughout Australia.

What to send

• Biography or Artist Statement - 1 page statement about the intention of your work, including previous gigs, awards and nominations, recordings, reviews, press clippings etc
• CV - list education, exhibition involvement and sale of works to public collections etc
• Publicity still/slide - an example of recent artwork or a promotional photo for band/act
• CD/demo - any recording of performance that will give programmers an understanding of your work  

Address to: 

City of Port Phillip
Indigenous Arts
Private Bag 3 PO St Kilda
Vic 3182

Veg Out Communtiy Gardens Indigenous Mural

The Indigenous mural at Veg Out Community Gardens was facilitated by Reko Rennie and Camille Monet with 30 Indigenous artists contributing to the wall. Joint Councils Access for All Abilities partnered the project with the local Indigenous community, Veg Out community gardens and the City of Port Phillip. The project was unveiled at the Yalukit Wilam Ngargee: People Place Gathering Indigenous cultural festival, Friday 2 February 2007.

Boonwurrung Clan names and country map by Reko Rennie photo by Bindi Cole.

Uncle Ray and Camille Monet mural artists photo by Bindi Cole

Follow the paths travelled by the local Indigenous population the Yalukit Wilam from West Beach reserve along the streets of St Kilda to the ceremonial Ngargee (Gathering) tree at St Kilda Junction.For further details cointact the Eco Centre on 03 9534 0670 or email info@ecocentre.com

Photos by Bindi Cole

For the past ten years Linden has been presenting, with the assistance of the City of Port Phillip, an annual exhibition aimed at showcasing the best of contemporary Indigenous Australian art and promoting it to as broad an audience as possible.

www.lindenarts.org/indigenous.php - Supporting Contemporary Indigenous Arts

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer phone ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask to speak to the Indigenous Arts Officer.