Carriageworks, one of Australia’s largest multi-arts precincts, has announced it will launch a new First Nations Fellowship and award of the inaugural fellowship for 2022-2023 to Kuku Yalanji/Yidindji multimedia artist Henrietta Baird.
The Carriageworks First Nations Fellowship is valued at $100,000 and supports a First Nations artist in the research and development of new work, spanning a two-year period. During the course of the Fellowship, Carriageworks will make a significant investment in the Fellowship artist, with a contribution of $25,000 per year plus additional support in the form of in-kind venue hire, production and producing support.
Jacob Boehme, director, First Nations Programs at Carriageworks, said, “The First Nations Fellowship represents a significant commitment to First Nations art practices, culture and perspectives. The Fellowship will give First Nations artists the opportunity to deepen and develop their practice at key moments in their careers. We are thrilled to announce Henrietta Baird as the inaugural recipient of this major new artist fellowship. Henrietta is an exceptional artist working at the forefront of First Nations art, writing and performance.”
During her Fellowship from 2022-2023, Baird will continue her research of native bush plants from her Country, exploring movement based on the methods and processes of collecting, preparing and applying traditional plants to make medicine, telling stories and preserving cultural knowledge through dance.
Baird is currently developing a performance called Plant A Promise, centering around land management and climate change from both scientific studies and First Nation’s cultural perspectives. Alongside her art, Baird studies a Certificate III in Land Management and conducts tours and holiday programs involving native Flora and Fauna and the history of the Sydney people.
The Carriageworks First Nations Fellowship is open to artists across multiple disciplines. Carriageworks will undertake an Expression of Interest process in mid-2023 for the next 2024-2026 Fellow.
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