Flourish: First Nations Fashion and Textiles Fund
Key dates
Applications open: Wednesday 17 September 2025
Applications close: Tuesday 11 November 2025 (3pm AEST)
Notifications: January 2026
Please note: Are you registering to use our Application Management System for the first time? Make sure you register well before the closing date. It can take up to two business days to process your registration.
Are you registering to use our Application Management System for the first time? Make sure you register well before the closing date. It can take up to two business days to process your registration.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application within 12 weeks after the closing date.
Contact
If you need advice about applying, contact Zoe Sims, Project Manager, First Nations Arts and Culture
Phone: 02 9215 9158
Email: zoe.sims@creative.gov.au
About the opportunity
Flourish: First Nations Fashion and Textiles Fund provides grants from $10,000 to $50,000 to support innovation, production, capacity building, marketing, professional development, seed funding and increasing digital visibility in the First Nations textile design and fashion sector. The opportunity is open to First Nations individuals and organisations (including Art Centres).
Grants can be used to support economic, cultural, and social development opportunities within fashion and textile design.
Your application should provide a project proposal that outlines the objectives and impact of what will be achieved with this funding. This fund should support your creative and/or professional capacity within the fashion and textile design sector, increasing opportunities for growth, potential collaboration and expansion.
The Flourish: First Nations Fashion and Textiles Fund is for activities beginning in March 2026. Funded activities must last no longer than 12 months from the proposed start date.
Celebrating five years of this funding initiative, Flourish is part of Creative Australia’s First Nations First industry development programs. These programs have been developed in response to the extensive community consultation on priorities and needs of the sector in response to Pillar1, First Nations First – Revive, the Australian Government’s shared vision for Australia: a place for every story and a story for every place. These initiatives aim to elevate existing programs and deliver new funding that build on a 50-year legacy of First Nations leadership and investment at Creative Australia.
Eligibility
Who can apply
You can apply for this fund if:
- you are a First Nations individual or organisation
- you are an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident, or an organisation based in Australia
Please note: You can only submit one application for this grant initiative.
Who cannot apply
You can’t apply to this fund if:
- you have an overdue report for another Creative Australia grant
- you owe money to Creative Australia
- your organisation is not First Nations led
- your project is already funded by Creative Australia
- you are receiving Multi-Year Investment from Creative Australia
What can’t be applied for
You can’t apply for:
- activities that have already taken place
- activities that have already been funded by Creative Australia (for example, through your multi-year investment)
- activities engaging with First Nations content, artists and communities that do not adhere to our First Nations Cultural & Intellectual Property Protocols
Key issues to address
- protection and development of First Nations art, culture and community, including licensing and protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
- business development support, best practice standards and philanthropic engagement
- difficulties in connecting with industry networks and resources, including supply chain, distribution, promotion and market opportunities
- access to industry education and skills development, particularly for emerging creatives and entrepreneurs
- digital platforms and access
- increasing business viability domestically and globally
- audience and marketing development and capacity building
- retail and wholesale engagement.
What the fund can be used for
- engaging in expertise to interpret artwork into fabric design
- collaborating with a designer to create a new clothing collection
- professional development for individuals and organisations
- marketing and capacity building activities
- activities to expand your creative practice and/or business
- partnering with small to medium First Nations businesses to build expertise
- First Nations led partnering and mentoring opportunities
- seed funding.
Application form
Applications must be submitted via Creative Australia’s Application Management System.
The types of questions we ask in the application include:
- a title for your project
- brief description of your artistic and/or professional practice
- describe your project and what you are seeking funding for (for example: runway show, new collection, research and development, sampling, community programming etc.)
- outline how this funding will assist you to strengthen and / or elevate your practice and career within fashion and textile design
- demonstrate how your project will ensure Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)
- project start and end dates
- project budget detailing expenses, income, and in-kind support of the project
- supporting materials.
Assessment
Applications are assessed by First Nations Industry Advisors, with the final decision on recommended recipients approved by the Creative Australia Executive team.
Assessment Criteria
Your application will be assessed against the published assessment criteria. The bullet points underneath each criterion indicate what industry advisors may consider if relevant. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.
Quality: First Nations Industry Advisors will assess the quality of the artistic and/or cultural development proposed in your EOI. They may consider:
- merit of the project proposed
- quality of work previously produced
- the potential, experimentation or ambition of the individual or organisation
- significance of the work within the relevant area of practice and / or community.
Viability: First Nations Industry Advisors will assess the viability of the proposed activities with consideration to planning, protocols, and budget. They may consider:
- the relevance and timeliness of proposed activity
- the skills and abilities of the people involved
- realistic and achievable planning and resource use to undertake the activities
- the calibre and track record of your organisation, partners, and collaborators
- previous experience delivering other projects/activities of similar size and scope
- evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, collaborators, or communities.
Impact: First Nations Industry advisors will assess the potential impact of your project, and how likely you are to achieve this. They may consider:
- activity is relevant to the identified areas of practice and career development
- capacity to strengthen the skills ad abilities of the individual or organisation
- potential to discover and develop new markets, collaborators, relationships or meet existing market demand
- the extent to which the activity contributes to a sector that is ethical, accessible, inclusive, and equitable.
Protocols
Your application must comply with the following Protocols. We may contact you to request further information during the assessment process, or if successful, as a condition of your funding.
- Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts
All applications involving First Nations artists, communities or subject matter must adhere to these Protocols, and provide evidence of this in their application and support material. More information on the First Nations Protocols is available here.
- Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
All successful applicants are required to comply with all Australian law relating to employing or engaging people who work or volunteer with children, including working with children checks and mandatory reporting. Successful organisations who provide services directly to children, or whose funded activities involve contact with children, will additionally be required to implement the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.
Support material
You should submit support material with your application. The First Nations Industry Advisors may review this support material to help them gain a better sense of your project.
We do not accept application-related support material submitted via post. Application-related material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your support material online, or need advice on what type of material to submit, please contact Artists Services.
There are three types of support material you may submit:
1. Artistic support material
This should include relevant, recent examples of your artistic or cultural work.
Our preferred method of receiving support material is via URLs (weblinks).
You can provide up to three URLs (weblinks) that link to content that is relevant to your proposal. This may include video, audio, images, or written material.
These URLs can include a total of:
- 10 minutes of video and/or audio recording
- 10 images
- 10 pages of written material (for example: concept deck, sketches, images, and capability statements).
Please note: Our peer assessors will not access any URLs that require them to log in or sign up to a platform. Please do not provide links to Spotify or other applications that require users to log in or pay for access.
If you are linking to media files that are private or password protected like Vimeo, please provide the password in the password field on the application form.
Other accepted file formats
If you cannot supply support material via URLs, you may upload support material to your application in the following formats:
- video (MP4, QuickTime, and Windows Media)
- audio (MP3 and Windows Media)
- images (JPEG and PowerPoint)
- written material (Word and PDF).
2. Biographies and CVs
You can include a brief bio or curriculum vitae (CV) for key artists, personnel or other collaborators involved in your project.
Brief bios or CV information should be presented as a single document no longer than two A4 pages in total.
3. Letters of support
Individuals, groups, or organisations can write letters in support of your project. A support letter should explain how the project or activity will benefit you, other artists or arts professionals, participants, or the broader community. It can also detail the support or involvement of key project partners, or evidence of consultation.
If relevant to your activity, letters of support must provide evidence of appropriate permissions and support from First Nations organisations, communities, and Elders. Please refer to the First Nations Protocols for more information.
You can include up to five letters of support, with each letter not exceeding one A4 page.
2025-26 recipients
Anindilyakwa Arts (NT)
Project title: Dadikwakwa-kwa Fashion Collection
Anindilyakwa Arts is a thriving hub of creativity spanning the Groote Archipelago in the Gulf of Carpentaria NT. The Warnamamalya led program proudly supports local employment and encourages traditional and contemporary creative practices. Anindilyakwa Artists explore creative avenues through “old and new ways”, drawing on deep knowledge of traditional practice, and experimenting with concepts in contemporary art disciplines.
Project description
The Flourish funding builds on the repatriation of 173 doll shells to Anindilyakwa, supporting the creation of new garments. This will include artist fees, workshop fees, fabric selection, dyeing, patternmaking, digital printing etc.
Photo: ALC Media
ATYENE (NSW)
Project title: Research, development, and marketing for second Atyene Collection @ DAAF & Aus Fashion Week.
Atyene meaning 'precious' in the Arrernte language of Central Australia, is a 100% First Nations-owned fashion label founded by Rachel Perkins. Known for her filmmaking work, Atyene is an extension of her life's work of sharing First Nations culture and stories. Atyene (pronounced Ah-chen) embodies the spirit of country through design, offering boutique collections that resonate with meaning and purpose. Our first collection was a collaboration with Utopia Art Centre and Iltja Ntjarra and a new collection is underway with Maningrida Arts.
Project description
The Flourish funding enables Atyene to create a new 12 garment range. The funding will support research, development, and the marketing of the label's second collection.
Image supplied by artist.
Bábbarra Women’s Centre (NT)
Project title: Threads of Knowledge: Past Meets Present – Babbarra Women’s Centre Screen Print Workshop 2026
Bábbarra Women’s Centre is an art centre in Maningrida, Arnhem Land, known for its textile brand Bábbarra Designs. Operated by Bawinanga Homelands Aboriginal Corporation, it has supported women across generations since 1987, producing screen-printed and Lino print textiles, fashion and drawings. The centre values and preserves women’s cultural histories and djang (ancestral stories) through ethical, award-winning textile production.
Project description
The Flourish funding will be used to conduct important screen printing workshops to develop new textile designs. The workshops support the creation of new prints and enables intergenerational
exchange, providing opportunities for long-term licensing of designs.
Photo: Ruth Bindiedbal with Abigail Gurawiliwili and her mom J.Wurrkidj. Image supplied by artist.
Bima Wear (NT)
Project title: Tiwi Women's Design, Print & Garment Mentorship Program
Bima Wear is a Tiwi women’s textile and garment studio in Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island. Established in 1969, it has been owned and governed by Tiwi women for over 50 years – one of Australia’s longest-running Aboriginal women’s art centres and the first to manufacture garments in community.
Our artistic practice centres on hand-designed and hand screen-printed textiles using jilamara (Tiwi design), grounded in story, Country, and cultural authority. Each artwork is developed by Tiwi artists from sketch → screen → printed textile → finished garment, making our practice uniquely design-to-production on Country. Senior artists mentor the next generation, sustaining cultural continuity while evolving contemporary Tiwi textile expression.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support a year-long mentorship program aimed at strengthening Tiwi women's skills in textile design, screen printing, and garment construction.
Image supplied by artist.
Teagan Cowlishaw – BLAKLIST (WA)
Project title: BLAKLIST Next Gen Program: ISG Collaboration at AFW 2026
BLAKLIST is a First Nations–owned fashion and creative agency creating pathways for models, designers, and creatives through storytelling, cultural safety, and industry leadership. We work across fashion, media, and education, elevating Indigenous excellence and representation, merging culture with contemporary fashion to shift the narrative from inclusion to ownership.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support BLAKLIST's 2026 Next Gen program, providing exposure for First Nations models to gain professional development through digital portfolios, media training, 1:1 mentoring, industry networking, and increased representation on Australian runways.
Image supplied by artist.
Brodie George – Jalayimiya (WA)
Project title: Jalayimiya: Kimberley Collections & Community Futures for KAFTA 2026
Brodie George is an Aboriginal designer and creative director whose label, Jalayimiya, blends wearable art, cultural storytelling, and slow fashion. Inspired by her Walmajarri heritage and connection to Country, her work centres women moving through motherhood, change, and self-confidence beyond trends. Her small-batch collections champion authenticity, sustainability, and the power of design to carry culture forward.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support the design and production of a new collection inspired by desert art and Country, made with sustainable materials. The collection will debut at KAFTA in 2026.
Image supplied by artist.
Clair Helen (WA)
Project title: Studio Expansion for Sustainable Indigenous Fashion
Clair Helen is a proud Indigenous designer and artist from the Tiwi Islands, born and raised on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory. Her work transforms fashion into a powerful canvas for storytelling, culture, and emotion, using colour and form to evoke shifting moods, emotional response, and moments of escapism.
Her designs have been featured in Vogue, Marie Claire, and Harper’s Bazaar, highlighting her growing influence in both Australian and international fashion. In 2026, Clair was honoured as Designer of the Year at the National Indigenous Fashion Awards (NIFA), recognising her as one of the leading First Nations voices in Australian fashion.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support the acquisition of essential professional equipment to advance Clair’s ability to design and produce high-quality garments. This funding will also support experimentation and research for the creation of new innovative works.
Image supplied by artist.
Corella & Crow (ACT)
Project title: Madhan (Tree): Developing Corella & Crow’s 2026 County to Couture Collection & Cultural Practice
Corella & Crow is a First Nations fashion label founded by designers Megan Daley and Rechelle Turner. Grounded in Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri ways of knowing, being and doing, the label creates slow, sustainable garments that honour story, Country and cultural continuity. Through upcycled textiles, hand processes and collaborative practice, Corella & Crow positions fashion as storytelling and cultural expression, grounded in sustainable practice and an ongoing obligation to Country.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support Corella & Crow's next major collection which includes 15 couture-level looks. Importantly, the funding enables the creative development and construction of these pieces.
Image supplied by artists.
Jilamara Arts (NT)
Project title: Batik workshops, Jilamara Arts
Jilamara Arts is owned and governed by artists from the community of Milikapiti on the Tiwi Islands. The art centre is the cultural hub of the community and houses a gallery, museum, digital archive, working studios, wood carving, and screen-printing workshops. The term Jilamara describes “design” based on ceremonial ochre markings on the body.
Reimagining these styles at the art centre has fostered a dynamic creative field for maintaining Tiwi knowledge, as well as sharing and celebrating contemporary living culture. These performative foundations have directed the organisation’s course for decades, from its origins in screen-printed garments as an adult education centre in the 1980s to producing major exhibition outcomes as an indigenous governed art centre in more recent decades.
Project description
The Flourish funding will be used to reinvigorate batik making practices at Jilamara Arts. The funding supports a series of week-long workshops and provides essential funding to undertake community consultation regarding future projects and public outcomes for opportunities in the fashion sector.
Photo: Jilamara Arts Fashion Parade, DAAF 2024
Nagula Jarndu Designs (WA)
Project title: Nagula Jarndu Designs visiting designer collaboration
Nagula Jarndu (Saltwater Woman in Yawuru) is a 100% Indigenous owned not for-profit Aboriginal women’s arts and resource centre in Broome, Western Australia. We have been operating for over 30 years and are governed by a group of strong Yawuru community members.
Nagula Jarndu provides a culturally safe space of Indigenous women to come together and create art, textiles and products inspired by country, culture and stories handed down from the old people. The workshop and retail space produces hand printed contemporary textiles, ethical and slow fashion, homewares, earrings, paper prints, hand poured candles and cold process soaps using local bush ingredients. Nagula Jarndu empowers women to earn income from their art, whilst maintaining a connection to their culture sharing and celebrating their art and stories.
Project description
The Flourish funding will enable 10 Nagula Jarndu artists and 4 emerging designers from across Australia to create a new collection to debut at Country to Couture in 2026.
Photo: Studio shot out the front. L to R: Marie Manado, Jatari Councillor, Lyn Yu-Mackay, Martha Lee, Emma Francis & Eunice Yu. Image supplied by artists.
Samala Thakialee Cronin (QLD)
Project title: Flow State
Samala Thakialee Cronin is a Butchulla and Woppaburra woman raised on her father’s Lardil Country in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Cronin founded MumRed to weave the language of our women’s song, dance and sacred cycles into contemporary fashion.
Since establishing MumRed, Cronin has produced handmade couture and commercially manufactured period underwear, been featured in major Australian runways and editorial coverage, and collaborated with First Nations artists and cultural hubs.
MumRed centres women’s wellness, body sovereignty and Blak resilience and was recognised as a finalist for the state of Victoria in the Telstra best of business awards 2025 – creating garments that hold story, purpose and economic opportunity and period parity for our communities. Samala also won Gold in the 2025 International Design Awards for 2025.
Project description
The Flourish funding will support the design and development of a 4-8 piece commercial collection. The funding will enable MumRed to produce couture garments and engage in cultural consultations, sampling, and ethical manufacturing.
Image supplied by artist.
