|
Ali Curung
Situated 170km south of Tennant Creek, Ali Curung is a remote Aboriginal community which is accessed from the Stuart Highway. Ali Curung is a word from the Kaytetye language meaning country of the dog or dog dreaming. It refers to an area of land visited by ancestral dogs during their travels around the country, with two important dog dreaming sites within 6km of the community. There are four main language groups in the region: Kaytetye, Warumungu, Alyawarr and Warlpiri. Ali Curung has a thriving arts scene with the Winanjjikari Music Centre working with local musicians this year as part of its Outreach Program and The Song Room holding workshops with school children. There's also the Arlpwe Arts & Culture Centre which promotes the artistic work and stories of the local artists, whose modern acrylic paintings utilise traditional symbols to indicate waterholes, campsites, bush tucker, fire, lightning, and their ancestral dreaming.
Visit www.alicurung.com.au or contact arlpwe@alicurung.com.au for more information.
|
|
Ampilatwatja
Ampilatwatja is the largest of three communities under the Aherrenge Aboriginal Association, and the language group of the people is Alyawarr. Around 300 people live in the community in the Sandover River area which snakes it way through the central Australian desert, about 325km northeast of Alice Springs. Ampalawitja artists are recognised throughout Australia as vibrant, creative painters. Originally the women of Ampalawitja were trained, with the women of Utopia, in batik silk painting. Then in 1999 Desart organised acrylic painting workshops to be delivered to Ampalawitja. From these workshops arose the unique pointillism landscapes of the Ampalawitja artists, which were quickly recognised as a new genre from the Central Australian desert by the fine art market.
Contact alywarrartists@yahoo.com.au for more information.
|
Borroloola
A remote fishing community on the McArthur River, Borroloola lies 70km inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory. The historic Outback town has a rich heritage centred around mining, the Yanyuwa Aboriginal people and the Gulf’s favourite pastime – fishing. Borroloola is home to the Sandridge Band who have honed their skills through the Winanjjikari Music Centre's Outreach program, resulting in the launch of their first EP Warlajbarkiyi. Like many communities, local artists have drawn inspiration from the surrounding countryside with the Waralungkku Art Centre starting in 2003. The word ‘waralungkyu’ is associated with the hill kangaroo dreaming and an imprint of its feet, tail and hindquarters is located at this site. Over 40 different artists from the Yanyula, Garrawa, Gudanji and Marra languages are represented by the centre with some of the artists painting about dreamtime stories and others focusing on favourite scenery out bush.
Visit www.waralungku.com or contact arts.mabunji@bigpond.com.au for more information.
|
|
Canteen Creek
The traditional land of Canteen Creek is called Owairtilla and about 200 people live there. Located 300km southeast of Tennant Creek, the community lies adjacent to a creek of the same name in open eucalypt and acacia woodlands. The Aboriginal people living in Owairtilla are from the Alyawerr language group and over time have moved there from Amaroo, Camooweal, Ampilatwatja and Lake Nash. This year Barkly Regional Arts organised art workshops to encourage the promotion of artistic and cultural development. The artists often go hunting and gathering, so the main theme in their artwork is bush tucker, fauna and flora and the land that surrounds their community. The Winanjjikari Music Centre and The Song Room has also established links with the school, organising workshops with local children and bringing their performances to Tennant Creek.
Contact arts@barklyarts.com.ay for further information.
|
|
Elliott
Elliott is a small town, about 250km north of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway, with a population of around 700. Kulumindini is the traditional Aboriginal name for Elliott and the languages for that region are Jingali and Mudburra. Local musicians, including The Storm Riders, The Young Kulumindini Band, MC Calvin, the Elliott Musical All-Stars and Harold Daly Waters, have benefited from a 12-month Outreach Program, organised by the Winanjjikari Music Centre. Printing workshops have also enabled local artists to develop their skills in fabric printing and sewing, resulting in Kulumindini Arts. For more information on Kulumindini Arts contact 08 8969 2189.
|
Epenarra (Wutungurrral)
A remote Indigenous community in the Barkly region, Epenarra is located about 220km southeast of Tennant Creek. It has a population of approximately 150 and sits at the back of the Davenport Ranges by the Frew River. Epenarra has no art centre but that hasn’t stopped local artists from coming together, sharing stories and creating beautiful art. World Vision, Barkly Regional Arts and visiting artists have been supporting the community with arts programs for a number of years. Participation in the arts has ranged from discrete arts projects, including market trips to Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, to major exhibitions in galleries in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide.
For more information contact epenarraartists@hotmail.com or lizmullen@worldvision.com.au
|
|
Mangalawurru
Mangalawurru is located on the Karlantijpa North Aboriginal Land Trust, about 80 km west of Tennant Creek. The community began in the late 1980s following the handover of the title to traditional owners in 1986, and the main languages spoken are Warlpiri and Warlmanpa. Artists from Mangalawurru are part of redbRushin’, which was funded from ArtsNT under the Regional Arts Fund for New Arts Communities, to provide ongoing support for artists and help them establish their own art centre.
Contact arts@barklyarts.com.au for further information.
|
|
Mungkarta
About 75 km south of Tennant Creek, the community is located on the Mungkarta Aboriginal Land Trust. Today, Mungkarta sits on the site of the old McLaren Creek Station homestead which was bought by traditional landowners in 1985 and handed over in May 1992. There is no established art centre in the community, but there are around 10 women, including three school girls, in the Mungkarta artist group. Barkly Regional Arts and Anyinginyi Remote Health’s Grow Well Program provide regular ongoing support, under the redbRushin’ project, by supplying materials for paintings and offering assistance to set up a system for the recording of paintings and sales. The Song Room has also established links with the school, organising workshops with local children and bringing their performances to Tennant Creek.
Contact arts@barklyarts.com.au for further information.
|
Tennant Creek
Tennant Creek has a population of 3500 people and is situated in the Barkly Tablelands on the Stuart Highway, 510km north of Alice Springs. Aboriginal culture is strong in Tennant Creek – 70 to 80 per cent of the population is Aboriginal with 13 different traditional language groups that are still being spoken. The traditional owners of this area are the Warumungu people and according to legend, the town of Tennant Creek grew up around the home of a spiky tailed goanna called Nyinkka - a powerful ancestral being. Tennant Creek is home to a vibrant arts scene including Barkly Regional Arts, the Winanjjikari Music Centre, Julalikari Arts & Craft and Nyinkka Nyunyu Arts and Culture Centre. Julalikari Arts (Pink Palace) has developed into an important site that nurtures and markets diverse artistic styles and maintains important cultural traditions. Nyinkka Nyunyu is a unique art and culture centre offering visitors an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal life, history and land in the region. The art produced is mainly wood carving artefacts such as coolamons, spears, nulla, nulla and boomerangs.
Visit www.nyinkkanyunyu.com.au and www.julalikariarts.com for further information.
|
Copyright Barkly Regional Arts 2010
|
