The Australia Council for the Arts’ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts board invites expressions of interest to its national Indigenous arts infrastructure program.

The program will support leading and building Indigenous cultural and arts organisations with a focus on cultural maintenance or artistic vibrancy. The closing date for expressions of interest is 10 April 2009.

In 2008 the making solid ground review examined the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander key organisations program and new ways to support the national Indigenous arts infrastructure. We held national consultations in every state and territory with hundreds of people attending forums, ringing and writing to tell us what they thought. We looked at how we should support arts organisations financially as well as looking at what the key areas should be to develop infrastructure support for art and culture in our communities. The report on consultations was released in December 2008. This new program is the result of those discussions.

An expression of interest information kit is available. Interested organisations can contact the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts division on 02 9215 9170 or toll free 1800 226 912. Organisations making an expression of interest under the ‘leading’ category must be available to attend a two day workshop in Sydney from 19-20 May 2009.