What We Do

Ku Arts is the South Australian support organisation for Aboriginal artists and art centres. Since 1998, we have provided advocacy, support services, creative skills and professional development opportunities for artists and arts workers across all stages of their careers. We do this work under the direction of a First Nations board of Directors and in support of a strong and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts sector that centres the self-determination and wellbeing of artists.

Governance

The cultural authority of our board is one of our greatest assets. The Ku Arts Board emulates best practice in governance with its directors representing Aboriginal artists from remote and regional communities in South Australia.

Advocacy and Sector Intelligence

Ku Arts operates as both a service delivery organisation and a peak body representing the interests of all Aboriginal artists and art centres in South Australia. We are recognised nationally as one of five peak bodies that form a trusted network for sharing information and experiences, influencing the development of public policy as it affects Aboriginal artists and their communities. We contribute to research projects, government inquiries, information and data collection and the making of recommendations for sector improvements. Ku Arts is sought after for our expertise and connections with independent Aboriginal artists across South Australia and for our commitment to culturally appropriate consultation with individuals, communities and art centres.

Business support for Aboriginal Art Centres

Practical, on the ground support for art centre boards, staff and artists, including governance, staff inductions, best practice management, arts worker training and development as well as supporting strategies for the engagement of emerging and young artists and cultural practitioners. 

ART CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE

The women artists who founded Ku Arts led the development of each of the APY Art Centres, working closely with communities to build suitable facilities and sustainable enterprises owned and led by Aboriginal artists. We continue to auspice infrastructure projects and facility improvements for Art Centres within the APY Lands and negotiate access to existing and new buildings and facilities for Aboriginal artists across regional and remote areas of SA.

Skills Development

Identifying the specific career and professional development needs of Aboriginal artists and their capacity to access facilities and resources is a crucial part of our work. Creative skills development takes many shapes and forms based on interaction whilst in community, where we deliver workshops that engage artists, enrich their practice and empower their connections, all the while providing insights into ways forward for their career development. We enable artists to access mainstream training and development programs conducted by our partners, including Jam Factory, Guildhouse, Flinders Medical Centre, The Mill, Our Mob, Art Gallery South Australia, by providing networks and a range of wrap-around support services from administration to travel.

Advice for Independent Artists

Deep listening and learning over more than two decades of close contact with Aboriginal artists across South Australia have given Ku Arts an on-the-ground appreciation for the conditions in which artists work and the joys and frustrations affecting their creative and cultural practice. We connect artists with relevant professional advisors to match their needs in copyright, licensing, intellectual property, fees, pricing, retail, and exhibition arrangements.

Access to Industry Opportunities

As a first point of contact for Independent Aboriginal artists Ku Arts is a safe, familiar place as they try to navigate a range of opportunities in the arts and cultural sectors. Listening, understanding and interpreting the circumstances of Aboriginal artists, whether they live and work in the city, regional or remote locations, enables us to guide them towards mentorships, residencies, entry into prizes and awards, sales and marketing avenues for their arts practice.

EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Ku Arts is committed to creating employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people in art centres and across the wider arts and cultural sector. We work with peer organisations and government departments to create and support meaningful employment pathways, opportunities, and training. We engage Aboriginal cultural consultants and arts facilitators on a program/project basis and support artists in professionalising their practices and running their own small businesses.

PARTNERSHIPS

Ku Arts is committed to working with other agencies to maximise outcomes for artists. This includes Desart and other Indigenous Visual Arts peak bodies, ANKA, AACHWA, IACA, and Indigenous Art Code, Arts Law and Copyright Agency. We form strategic partnerships within and across sectors with organisations, including the Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art, Art Gallery of South Australia, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Country Arts SA, South Australian Museum, JamFactory, ACE Open, Guildhouse, the Mill, Flinders Medical Centre and Adelaide College of the Arts/TAFE SA. We strengthen and broaden relationships with government at State and Federal levels.

EVALUATION & DATA COLLECTION

Ku Arts is committed to continued improvement, and data collection for evaluating and reporting our programs and service delivery is essential to this. Using our strategic evaluation framework, we continue to assess outcomes and modify services to better meet the needs of our membership.