‘Keep our Elders connected’ through art centres: podcast

A new film featuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led art centres celebrates the vital role of Elders in transferring culture and knowledge to emerging generations.

While roughly 90 art centres are scattered around Australia, the NARI film 'Art Centres Keep Our Elders Connected' zooms into three locations offering an in-depth look into their value to the community.

"The art centres themselves are incredibly vibrant places, and the work is beautiful," NARI Research Fellow Paulene Mackell says.

"They play a key role in keeping people connected.

"The centres value the role of the Elders and the people sharing the knowledge through the next generations and keeping that law and culture and those stories alive for future generations."

Aged Care Insite discussed the new film with Paulene and how the art centres preserve the community's language, culture and kinship.

Paulene would like to acknowledge the many Countries on which this research collaboration took place. She pays her respects to the First Peoples of these Countries and to their ancestors and Elders past and present. She would like to specifically acknowledge the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara peoples of Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Pintupi-Luritja peoples of Ikuntji Artists, and Bunuba, Gooniyandi, Walmajarri, Wangkajunka and Nyikina peoples of Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency for their methodological and ethical leadership during this study and for sharing their stories in this film.