Kimberley creative projects receive funding boost

Goolarri Media Enterprises in Broome has received a $30,000 grant from the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund to produce Because We’re Blak, a powerful new play by Nyul Nyul playwright Melody Dia.

Set to premiere in May 2026, the production will feature a majority First Nations creative team and will tour Fitzroy Crossing and Derby.

This funding is part of a total $88,384 awarded to three Kimberley projects aimed at supporting artistic and cultural development in the area.

Goolarri Media, which has long supported Indigenous arts and media, will use the grant to provide new opportunities for local creatives and showcase the diverse voices of First Nations people through Ms Dia’s new play.

Because We’re Blak is set in Broome and is a reworking of a live experience of Ms Dia’s, dealing with contemporary issues of racism, prejudicial policing, and generational divide, leavened by humour and pathos.

Alongside Goolarri’s project, Kimberley Arts Network (KAN) in Broome received $28,630 to establish a Ceramics Studio Program.

KAN executive officer, Clancy McDowell said they get asked about ceramics programs at KAN very often, and up until now, have not been able to do anything without a kiln.

“Now with funding from Lotterywest and the Regional Arts Fund, KAN will be establishing its ceramics studio with a kiln installation and training programs to support arts workers and clay-based programs”. she said.

“We can’t wait to get the ceramics centre up and running in 2026”.

In Kununurra, the Waringarri Arts Aboriginal Corporation was awarded $29,754 to run the Gelengajbenga-Woorr project, a series of workshops aimed at emerging Aboriginal artists.

Regional Arts Australia executive director, Ros Abercrombie said the funding recipients represented the strength and ability to drive creative initiatives and connection in regional communities.

“These projects not only produce exceptional art but also stimulate local economies and strengthen community connections,” she said.

The funding forms part of a national initiative, with $1.76 million allocated to 77 new creative projects across regional and remote Australia.

The grants are expected to create 865 new jobs and engage over 14,700 participants, reaching a combined audience of more than 1.2 million people.