FIRST STORIES PROGRAM

Arts North West First Stories Program works with individuals and organisations to build and improve opportunities for Aboriginal arts and communities in our region.

Extensive community consultation and strategic partnerships guide the development of programs and partnerships designed to foster and develop paid opportunities for Aboriginal artists, and build cultural safety and competency throughout all Arts North West initiatives.

Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) Funding is to support and foster Aboriginal artists in the New England North West. Arts North West has engaged three First Nations contractors to deliver a myriad of programs and projects throughout the North West to diversify and increase opportunities for Indigenous creatives.

view the ARTS NORTH WEST ABORIGINAL ARTS & Cultural STRATEGY 2024 - 2028 (pdf)

The Gadjigadji program

The Arts North West: First Stories Programs supports journeys that Promote Revitalising Arts and Cultural Programs in our Communities. Artists and arts workers can apply for various types of support to enhance their projects, which will contribute to the improvement of the First Nations arts sector within the Arts North West region.
The Gadjigadji program is ongoing and assessed monthly. Financial assistance is available though the program but the amounts that can b applied for vary each round.
The program also offers practical project support through Arts North West, including assistance from the Aboriginal Arts Officer, help with project delivery, and opportunities to strengthen outcomes for artists, communities, and the wider First Nations arts sector across the region.

aPPLY HERE

2026 Gather & Trade Events

Armidale Creative Streets Festival 2026 | 17 October 2026

As part of the Creative Streets Festival 2026, Arts North West is proud to present the Gather & Trade Aboriginal Arts Market—a vibrant celebration of First Nations creativity in the heart of Armidale.

Creative Streets transforms the Armidale CBD into a place where art, performance, music, light, ideas and community come together, celebrating creativity as part of everyday life. Within this dynamic festival, Gather & Trade creates a dedicated space for Aboriginal artists, makers and cultural practitioners to share their work, stories and culture directly with the community.

Visitors can explore a diverse range of authentic Aboriginal artworks, jewellery, textiles, cultural crafts, bush products and handmade objects while meeting the artists behind each piece. Throughout the market, opportunities for cultural exchange, storytelling and creative demonstrations invite audiences to engage with the world's oldest living culture in meaningful and respectful ways.

More than a marketplace, Gather & Trade celebrates living culture, supports Aboriginal creative enterprise and strengthens opportunities for First Nations artists to connect with new audiences. Every purchase directly supports Aboriginal artists and contributes to the continued growth of the region's creative economy.

Join us as we celebrate creativity, culture and community during the Creative Streets Festival Opening Night on Saturday, 17 October 2026, and experience the richness of Aboriginal arts in the heart of Armidale.

Aboriginal arts steering committee

Arts North West supports the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to celebrate and practise their cultures and to fulfil creative and cultural aspirations. Furthermore, we recognise and respect that Aboriginal people have a right to self-determination particularly in respect to cultural matters. This includes making decisions about preserving and sharing their traditional and contemporary cultural knowledge and practices.

Arts North West, through the Aboriginal Cultural Support Program, provides dedicated, cohesive, and regionally-based support for Aboriginal arts and cultural development which will allow our community greater access to opportunities to strengthen culture through arts practice, projects and career development.

The NENW Aboriginal Arts Steering Committee supports Arts North West with cultural guidance and decision-making, strategic planning, advice and feedback and will be developing respectful and sustainable relationships based on trust and respect for our cultural values and our histories. The NENW Aboriginal Arts Steering Committee is comprised of two Aboriginal volunteer representatives from each of the contributing LGAs in our region.