Fellowship Program

Fellowships are regularly made available to Leadership Program alumni aimed at nurturing and developing the skill sets of First Nations arts professionals.

The Fellows will have the opportunity to work with the National Gallery or an identified partner organisation on a six-week project that will provide the Fellow with quality mentoring and ensure First Nations contribution across the Gallery and throughout the sector.

The Fellowship allows alumni to gain extra experience in the arts and creative sectors by working in an internationally leading art institution, build confidence as an arts professional, and expand networks within the industry.

Projects will vary according to what's going on within the Gallery or other participating organisations.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for updates and announcements.

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the Fellowship program.

Ian RT Colless
Wesfarmers Indigenous Arts Leadership Coordinator
National Gallery of Australia
M: 0447 811 081
E: ian.rtcolless@nga.gov.au

Jirra Lulla Harvey, 2010 Fellowship recipient

I'm a proud Yorta Yorta/Wiradjuri woman from Melbourne. During my NGA Fellowship I worked in the Marketing team, with the guidance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art curators, to deliver a marketing strategy for unDisclosed: 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial. This was a surreal experience, gathering quotes and writing media releases on artists who I had always looked up to.

We had over 600 guests at the opening night celebration. I will never forget the moment when a reporter from the Canberra Times asked me who they should snap for their social pages, I looked around the room and saw the who's who of the contemporary Indigenous arts scene. These were people I had studied at university or seen on TV and they were enjoying themselves at an event I had helped plan.

I was raised to take hold of opportunities, to build my skills, and then bring those skills back to my own community. Once I completed my Fellowship I came home and started a small marketing and events company, Kalinya Communications. I never would have had the confidence to do this if it hadn't been for my time at the NGA.

Kevin O'Brien, 2012 Fellowship recipient

Through my NGA Fellowship I have been working on the technical detailing of showcase systems for travelling exhibitions. I operate my own architectural firm and am interested in the relationship between art, people and the spatial setting.

I want to develop technical design strategies for exhibitions that contribute to a greater presence of the Aboriginal community, and the telling of our stories through the arts.

The central idea informing my design position is called Finding Country. Finding Country is an idea I have been working on since 2006 that reveals Aboriginal place and culture as a spatially determining origin. In this construct, all things are connected to Country. Through my NGA Fellowship I have been developing my technical skills and spatial understanding of travelling exhibitions. It has been a great opportunity and privilege to be part of the NGA Fellowship.