Dr Bronwyn Bancroft is a Bundjalung Woman and Artist. Bronwyn’s career has included both national and international exhibitions. Her work is held in major Australian galleries, state libraries, and international collections, including the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Bronwyn has contributed extensively to Indigenous and Australian children’s literature, authoring/illustrating 50 children’s books. Bronwyn is a Founding Member of Boomalli and has been the Co-operative’s volunteer senior strategist since 2009. Bronwyn is a Director of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), The Returning and the Commonwealth Bank Indigenous Advisory Council.

Photo: Photo: Jo-Anne Driessens

Stephen Pigram is a Yawuru singer-songwriter from Broome, Western Australia, and one of Australia’s most respected cultural voices. A modern-day Song Man, his work spans music, theatre, and film, carrying Kimberley stories across generations. Beginning his career in his teens, his songwriting has been central to landmark works including Bran Nue Dae and Corrugation Road.

Deeply influenced by his father Eric Pigram, his songs act as living archives—preserving ancestral memory, history, and identity. With a distinctive fingerpicking style and a five-decade long career, Stephen’s work continues to shape Australia’s cultural landscape with integrity, depth, and enduring influence.

Photo: BOYFROMBEYOND PHOTOGRAPHY

Dr. Djambawa’s principal role is as a leader of the Madarrpa clan. He is a caretaker for the spiritual well-being of his own and other related clans, and an activist and administrator in the interface between non-Aboriginal people and the Yolŋu people of North East Arnhem Land.

He was involved in the production of the Barunga Statement (1988), Djambawa was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council between 2013-2019. In 1997, Djambawa was one of the elders at Timber Creek who burned the Prime Minister’s 10-point plan. He instigated the Saltwater Collection of bark paintings which led to the successful Blue Mud Bay sea rights claim. He revolutionised art from East Arnhem, led peak body the  Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists Aboriginal Corporation (ANKA) for over twenty-five years and won First Prize in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) in 2019.

Photo supplied.

Hetti Perkins is a curator, writer, and presenter from the Arrernte and Kalkadoon Aboriginal communities with over thirty years’ experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual art. She has received honours including the University of NSW Alumni Award (2017) and Australia Council Fellowship (2018).

Since 2022, she has been curator for Desert Mob at Desart and Senior Curator at the National Gallery of Australia, where she organised the 4th National Indigenous Art Triennial and co-curated major retrospective of Emily Kam Kngwarreye. Her work includes advising on the Eora Journey art project and curating the Australian Indigenous Art Commission in Paris. She has created documentary series for ABC and SBS/NITV and curated major exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Photo supplied.

Hayley Millar Baker is a Gunditjimara and Djabwurrung artist whose work is politically engaged, spiritually resonant and deeply human. Her practice explores the emotional and psychological landscapes of Indigenous women alongside the cyclical, interconnected and regenerative nature of Aboriginal worlds. Drawing on ancestral knowledge and Indigenous philosophies, she creates immersive spaces for reflection, reclamation and connection.

Baker was shortlisted for the Australian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale and selected for Primavera: Young Australian Artists at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia. Her work has been exhibited at major institutions, including the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the National Gallery of Art (USA), and the Nasher Museum of Art (USA).

Photo: Donna Sharrock

John Harvey is a multidisciplinary artist of Saibai Island (Torres Strait) and English descent, whose work spans theatre, visual art and film. His acclaimed theatre works includes The Return (Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Drama), Heart is a Wasteland and Dear Son. He was the inaugural recipient of the First Nations Writers Residency in New York and Boston. His visual art features major installations The Heart of the Universe (Biennale of Sydney 2026) and Canopy (ACMI). His screen work features award-winning films Katele (Mudskipper) (Best Australian Short Film, Flickerfest and MIFF), Still We Rise (ADG and AIDC Awards) and Spear.

His work has been presented nationally at internationally across major festivals, galleries and cultural institutions. His is Creative Director of Brown Cabs, a board member of Bangarra Dance Theatre, and a recipient of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship.

Photo: Mark Pokorny.

Balya Productions, founded by Letisha Ackland, a Gugada/Wirangu and Mirning woman from Ceduna, South Australia, is an Aboriginal-owned production company

advancing visibility, equity, and excellence in Australia’s live music sector. Balya creates culturally safe spaces for First Nations artists and crew, delivering festivals like Yabaardu and events such as the National Indigenous Music Awards and training programs for emerging talent.

Through its mentee program, Balya provides hands-on experience, leadership development, and employment pathways for First Nations youth, bridging cultural knowledge with professional skills. Under Letisha’s leadership, the company combines expertise with cultural advocacy, ensuring representation, empowerment, and community impact. Balya Productions shows how purpose can transform industry standards and foster the next generation of First Nations creative leaders.

Photo: ASB Creative Professional Photography