Purrumpa

About the event

Creative Australia, with the First Nations Strategy Panel, presented Purrumpa – a national gathering and celebration of First Nations arts and culture held over five days on Kaurna Yerta at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 31 October to 4 November 2022.

The historic occasion marked the largest national gathering of First Nations arts and culture, convened by Creative Australia, in 50 years.

As part of the anniversary of the establishment of Creative Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board, the gathering celebrated the remarkable achievements in the First Nations arts and culture sector over the last 5 decades.

In 1973, a national seminar on Aboriginal Arts in Australia in Canberra was attended by approximately 400 representatives from across the country. Funded by the newly formed Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council, the meeting established guidelines designed to encourage First Nations people around the country to participate in a broad range of arts activities.

Purrumpa celebrated the 50th anniversary of this significant milestone and enabled a national collective voice across all areas of First Nations arts and cultural practice.

As we reflect on the past and look to the future, Purrumpa has proven an important moment to come together to continue conversations about First Nations peoples’ self-determination, development, and priorities for the national advocacy of First Nations arts and culture.

First Nations artists, organisations and communities are invited to keep up to date and follow the Purrumpa journey by joining our dedicated mailing list.

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Watch selected sessions from Purrumpa below

YouTube

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Creative Australia, with the First Nations Strategy Panel, presented Purrumpa – a national gathering and celebration of First Nations arts and culture held over five days on Kaurna Yerta at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 31 October to 4 November 2022.

Read more: https://creative.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/

Purrumpa 2022 sizzle reel

December 14, 2023 6:16 pm

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Purrumpa 2022 sizzle reel

YouTube Video UEw2aXhkaWdBSEFKWGtHZUw3Y2Rhb21sQTNxSl9KdTV6cS4yODlGNEE0NkRGMEEzMEQy

Purrumpa Conference youth sizzle reel

YouTube Video UEw2aXhkaWdBSEFKWGtHZUw3Y2Rhb21sQTNxSl9KdTV6cS4wMTcyMDhGQUE4NTIzM0Y5

Purrumpa Conference social media story #1

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Purrumpa Conference social media story #2

Dr Patricia Anderson AO's keynote address is delivered in absentia by Franchesca Cubillo, Executive Director First Nations Arts and Culture at the Australia Council for the Arts. She talks about the Voice to Parliament referendum, the Uluru Statement for the Heart and First Nations Australians' history of storytelling as the oldest surviving culture in the world.

https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/

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Purrumpa 2022: Day One Keynote Address, Dr Patricia Anderson AO

Musician and Kamilaroi elder Bob Weatherall gives the keynote address on day one of Purrumpa 2022 First Nations Arts and Culture Gathering. In conversation with his son Warraba, they discuss First Nations cultural and intellectual property, the importance of the return of ancestral human remains and sacred objects, and the ways that colonial science, arts and cultural institutions continue to“perpetrate the ultimate indignity to interpret us to ourselves.”

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Purrumpa 2022: Day One Keynote – Bob Weatherall in conversation with Warraba Weatherall

Speakers: John Paul Janke (facilitator), Hon Linda Burney MP, Sally Scales, Thomas Mayor, Uncle Moogy Sumner.

More on Purrumpa: https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/program/

YouTube Video UEw2aXhkaWdBSEFKWGtHZUw3Y2Rhb21sQTNxSl9KdTV6cS5DQUNERDQ2NkIzRUQxNTY1

Uluru Statement from the Heart and First Nations Arts and Culture

The Hon. Linda Burney MP on the importance of the Voice to Parliament.

More on Purrumpa: https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/program/

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Message from the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Hon Linda Burney MP

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Message from the Minister for the Arts, Hon. Tony Burke MP

Professor Marcia Langton AO on the history, establishment and founding of the Aboriginal Arts Board in 1973 under Whitlam’s government, the cultural context of the Board’s establishment amongst the establishment of other national cultural institutions and rampant First Nations intellectual property theft.

https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/

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Purrumpa 2022: Day Two Keynote Address – Professor Marcia Langton AO

Dhunghutti man Craig Ritchie, Executive Officer at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), discusses the need for a First Nations-led re-evaluation of what we define as“culture” and what a national First Nations arts and culture infrastructure might look like.

https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/events/purrumpa/

YouTube Video UEw2aXhkaWdBSEFKWGtHZUw3Y2Rhb21sQTNxSl9KdTV6cS5EMEEwRUY5M0RDRTU3NDJC

Purrumpa 2022: Day Two Keynote Address – AIATSIS CEO Craig Ritchie

In 2018 and 2019, the Australia Council for the Arts travelled around the country talking to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people about a national body for First Nations arts and culture, with the working title of ‘National Indigenous Arts and Cultural Authority (NIACA)’.

Learn more: https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/bringing-it-forward/

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Franchesca Cubillo Bringing it Forward presentation at Purrumpa

FAQs

Purrumpa was the inaugural national gathering and celebration of First Nations arts and culture held over five days on Kaurna Yerta at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 31 October to 4 November 2022.

The historic occasion marked the largest national gathering of First Nations arts and culture, convened by the Creative Australia, in 50 years.

‘Purrumpa’ is a Kaurna language word meaning ‘to flourish or blossom’ and was generously gifted to us by Kaurna Elder Uncle Lewis O’Brien.

Purrumpa celebrated the incredible achievements of the past fifty years of the First Nations arts and cultural led industry, as envisaged by the Aboriginal Arts Board in 1973. We hosted conversations over five days, across multiple artforms whilst paying tribute to those who have come before us.

Purrumpa enabled considered discussion at all levels, and across a range of industries, about First Nations arts and cultures.
These conversations promoted the rights of First Nations artists and cultural custodians; and championed First Nations arts and cultures, to support, strengthen and grow the First Nations arts and culture sector into the next 50 years.
Purrumpa built on the legacy of the 1973 seminar, and lead discussions that will develop strategies to promote First Nations creative endeavours locally, nationally and internationally. It supports policy development around the arts and economic growth to empower future First Nations arts and cultural leaders.

We are pleased to announce the first round of speakers for Purrumpa:

Patricia Anderson AO (Keynote)
Dr Ali Baker
Wayne Barker
Hon Tony Burke MP (Keynote)
Professor Dr Marcia Langton AO (Keynote)
Troy Casey
Lillian Crombie
Nici Cumpston OAM
Dr Fiona Foley
Julie Gough
Andrea James
Gary Lang
Professor Dr Marcia Langton AO (Keynote)
Michael Mansell
Djambawa Marawili AM
Thomas Mayor
Romlie Mokak
Djon Mundine
Tiriki Onus
Glenn Iseger Pilkington (Keynote)
Rhoda Roberts AO
Glen Shea
Damien Shen (Keynote)
Nardi Simpson
Bob Weatherall (Keynote)

Sign-up to our mailing list to stay up to date. Expressions of interest for presenters closed on Sunday 28 August.

Purrumpa is a gathering of First Nations arts and culture and we engaged First Nations arts and cultural workers from across the country.
We recognise there are many non-First Nations people who are involved in First Nations projects and organisations wished to attend with their First Nations colleagues.
Non-First Nations delegates are welcome to join the audience to hear from First Nations Eldership, thought leaders and inspirational youth who are currently engaged in the arts and culture sector.

Anyone can watch the livestream recordings.

The delivery of Purrumpa was being led by First Nations people, with leadership from the First Nations Arts and Cultural Strategy Panel and the Creative Australia’s First Nations arts and culture team. We are worked with a First Nations media and event management agency on the delivery of the event.

Creative Australia, and our delivery partners, adhere to the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts.

If you’d like to know more, please contact purrumpa@creative.gov.au – this email is being monitored by multiple people and you will receive a response as promptly as possible.

Jordan Lovegrove from Karko Creations.

Jordan Lovegrove is a Ngarrindjeri man who has been creating Aboriginal art over the past 11 years. Jordan’s mob (Ngarrindjeri) is from the riverland area of South Australia around the Coorong, lower Murray River – Murray Bridge, Raukkan. He grew up in Adelaide and enjoys visiting his family in Murray Bridge often. A creative at heart, Jordan also works as a Graphic Designer and Web Developer, creating a range of brands, artwork and digital platforms for a variety of clients from all over Australia.