Australia Always Was and Always Will Be Aboriginal Land
Nauti Studios in Stanmore, Sydney is on Gadigal land and Nauti Studios in Hazelbrook, Blue Mountains is on Dharug and Gundungarra land. These are the true and traditional custodians of the lands on which we work and we are disappointed with the outcome of the national referendum on amending the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia through the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. In Stanmore 86.9% of residents voted ‘yes’ and in Hazelbrook 61.7% did the same. Nauti Studios stands with the results of our electorates.
Yabun Festival, an annual festival held in Sydney celebrating and supporting indigenous Australians; their art, experiences, expression, traditions, innovations, and knowledge. Every day should be Yabun Festival.
Clothilde Bullen, Chair of the National Association for the Visual Arts Board has called for allies to amplify their voices and advocate for First Nations peoples. In her statement last week she said:
“ In a country in which First Nations artists – and in particular visual artists – contribute half a billion dollars to the Australian economy each year, there is a particular irony. First Nations visual artists contribute directly to the identity of Australia globally in terms of culture, arts and tourism but have now formally been prohibited from having agency and representation over those contributions – as well as our own health, social justice, education and other facets of life.”[1]”
At Nauti studios, we wholeheartedly agree. Additionally, beyond the destructive legacy of colonialism, we believe there’s a painful irony that in 2023 as scientists warn that Earth’s “vital signs” are worse than at any time in human history and “meaningful life on the planet is in peril” as a country, we have failed to embrace the invaluable wealth of knowledge our first nations communities offer for the care of this land and its natural resources. Clothilde Bullen goes on to say “the time for taking meaningful action is now” and with regard to the worsening climate crisis, we couldn't agree more. We need the voices of our first nations people more than ever.
“These dialogues are far from over, irrespective of the referendum’s outcome. Now more than ever, we must engage actively, maintain empathy, and cultivate respectful community connections. During this period of reflection and change, artists and arts practitioners play a crucial role in participating in and leading public actions [...] The arts have a critical and specific function in this regard; enabling the kinds of representation and agency that has been denied to us federally and formally in the broader constitutional and political space. This is, interestingly, the space where we feel most comfortable because it’s the space that has allowed us the most freedom. The one positive from the referendum outcome has been the clear manifestation of allyship that has arisen across all facets of the Australian landscape, with the arts very much leading the charge.” [3]”
RESIDENCIES FOR FIRST NATIONS ARTISTS AT NAUTI STUDIOS
Nauti Studios has offered residencies to first nations artists in the past, recently this has included composer and musician Tim Grey. Formerly a member of the Black Turtles, Tim now raises awareness for social justice issues including poverty, racism, inequality and addiction as part of the reggae fusion group Green Hand Band. While the founder of the Aboriginal owned company Amber's Food Wraps, Eve sustainably produces food wraps with fabric designed by the traditional owners of the Northern Territory.
Tim Gray, jamming away, working on his business ‘Music Workshops for Rehabilitation’, which he started at Nauti Studios in Sydney as a part of our Indigenous Residency Program.
Eve, the wonderful founder and owner of ‘Amber’s Food Wraps’. We provided space for Eve to make her beautiful bees wax food wraps, using material designed by Aboriginal artists in the Northern Territory, and bees wax made on the south coast of New South Wales. For our Indigenous Residency Program at Nauti Studios in the Blue Mountains, funded 100% by Nauti.
Nauti Studios warmly invites first nations artists to approach us for future residencies and collaborations. Please contact us here for more information or to start a conversation.
Australia Always Was and Always Will Be Aboriginal Land
[1] Bullen, C. (2023) Statement from the Chair of NAVA, NAVA. Available at: https://visualarts.net.au/news-opinion/2023/statement-from-the-chair/ (Accessed: 31 October 2023).
[2] Carrington, D. (2023) Earth’s ‘vital signs’ worse than at any time in human history, scientists warn, The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/24/earth-vital-signs-human-history-scientists-sustainable-future (Accessed: 31 October 2023).
[3] Bullen, C. (2023) Statement from the Chair of NAVA, NAVA. Available at: https://visualarts.net.au/news-opinion/2023/statement-from-the-chair/ (Accessed: 31 October 2023).