The Australian Government is developing an Indigenous Visual Arts Action Plan to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and their cultural and economic interests. We are seeking feedback from anyone involved with the Indigenous visual arts sector who would like to contribute to the development of the Action Plan.

How it works

Why we want your input
The Australian Government is developing an Action Plan to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and their cultural and economic interests. It is important that the plan is based on the views of the Indigenous visual arts sector. We want to hear your say on possible ways the Government could further support Indigenous artists and Industry that surrounds them.
How you can voice your opinion
You can provide a submission in response to our consultation paper by sending your comments and input by mail or email. Details on other ways to comment can be found below. Submissions close on 18 December 2020.
What will be the outcome of this consultation?
Feedback received in response to this consultation paper will assist us to develop the Action Plan which will give everyone a clear work plan into the future, with the aim of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and the Indigenous visual arts Industry.

Consultation Information

Consultation tabs

The Issue

The Australian Government recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art is an important way for Indigenous Australians to tell stories, share culture, understand and explore Country and history, build community, and drive economic opportunities.

The Australian Government is developing an Action Plan to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists, and their cultural and economic interests. The plan will also will assist the Government to identify ways it can support the Indigenous visual arts industry as a whole.

In March 2020, Australia began to experience the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Indigenous visual arts industry was dramatically impacted. Art centres, galleries and studios closed or scaled back their activities. Art fairs and industry events were cancelled or postponed. The shutdown of domestic and international travel, combined with the economic downturn, has led to a drop in the primary market for Indigenous artwork, leading to an immediate and significant loss of sales and income for artists, art centres and many art market professionals. The flow-on effects have been felt across the Indigenous visual arts sector.

This Action Plan comes at a time when the Industry is considering the full long-term effects of COVID-19. We are now looking towards the future, and considering what action needs to be taken to assist the sector to rebuild following COVID-19. Action Plans help to give everyone a clear work plan. They help to make it clear what the Government does now and how it can support the industry into the future.

It is important that the Action Plan is based on the views of the Indigenous visual arts sector. The feedback we receive in response to this consultation paper will assist to develop the Action Plan.

We would like to hear from anyone involved with the Indigenous arts sector who wants to contribute. This might include artists, art centre directors, arts workers, art centre managers, art dealers, purchasers, collectors, industry bodies or peak bodies representing these groups.

Some people have provided feedback to other consultations. We will incorporate that feedback into this Action Plan. As this is an important new initiative, we want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to guide and shape the outcomes.

If you have any questions in regards to this consultation, please email IVA@arts.gov.au.

Launch of the Consultation Paper on Growing the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry

Report on the impact of inauthentic art and craft in the style of First Nations Peoples

In 2017 the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs adopted an inquiry into the growing presence of inauthentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 'style' art and craft products and merchandise for sale across Australia. In 2018 the Committee published their Report on the impact of inauthentic art and craft in the style of First Nations peoples. On 2 September 2020 the Australian Government tabled its response to the Committee's Report.

Relevant Documents

Consultation Paper on Growing the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry

Published 2nd Sep 2020

Download PDF (754.02 KB) Download PDF (1.25 MB) Download DOC (580.19 KB)
The Australian Government recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art is an important way for Indigenous Australians to tell stories, share culture, understand and explore Country and history, build community, and drive economic opportunities.

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Started September 02, 2020 09:00 AEST
Ended December 18, 2020 17:00 AEDT
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Formal Submission

How you can comment

Submissions in writing: You can participate in the discussion by providing a submission responding to the consultation paper. You can choose to answer the questions asked in the paper, or you can provide your views on anything else raised in the paper. The submission period closes on 18 December 2020.

We invite you to tell us your views on this topic.

Please include:

  • contact name
  • organisation name, if applicable
  • contact details, including telephone number, postal and email addresses
  • confirmation whether or not your submission can be made public—published—or kept confidential.

All submissions to be made public need to meet the Digital Service Standard for accessibility. Any submission that does not meet this standard may be modified before being made public.

If your submission is to be made public, please ensure you do not include any personal information that you don't want to be published.

You can make your submission by emailing it to IVA@arts.gov.au or by mailing it to:

Visual Arts and Design Section
Office for the Arts
GPO Box 2154
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Completing a survey: You can contribute by completing the Growing the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Consultation Survey. Survey results will be aggregated and de-identified before publication, and will contribute to the development of the Indigenous Visual Arts Action Plan.

In person: COVID-19 has significantly impacted on travel and public gatherings. Face-to-face consultations will be scheduled when it is safe to do so, in line with health advice. We will provide up-to-date information about face to face consultations here on the Office for the Arts' website.

If you are unable to submit a written submission, please contact the Visual Arts and Design Section by email IVA@arts.gov.au or by phone on 02 6271 1000, and we will work with you to have your input included in the discussion.

Written submissions will be made publically available unless...

Unless you advise us otherwise, submissions, in part or full, including the name of the author may be published on the Department's Office for the Arts website at arts.gov.au or in documentation released by the Government about the consultation's findings (except where the submission is confidential).

Confidential submissions (including author name) will not be published. If you do not want your submission to be made public, please ensure this is made clear when submitting your input and that it is marked confidential.

Where you wish your submission to be made public, but would like to remain anonymous, please make this clear when you are submitting your input and we will de-identify your submission before publishing.

Private addresses and contact details will not be published or disclosed to any third parties unless required by law.

We may choose not to publish submissions that contain defamatory material, personal information, or that are not relevant to the consultation. We may choose to redact any defamatory material, personal information or irrelevant information before publishing a submission on the website.

Please click on the 'Have your say now' button below to upload your submission.