Aboriginal Culture, Heritage
& Arts Association of NSW

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights (ICIP) was the hot topic when ACHAA members gathered at the Art Gallery of NSW for ACHAA’s second 2024 conference. 

Significant voices in the ICIP space led by Dr Terri Janke, attracted more than 75 delegates representing ACHAA’s wide membership across Metro and regional NSW.  

Conference highlights were: 

• Nadeena Dixon opened the conference with a Welcome to Country drawn from generations of storytelling and performance. 

• Art Gallery of NSW staff shared some of their First Nations, including students in regional NSW. 

• Bibi Barba from Create NSW demonstrated the significance of ICIP with her film Stolen in Poland about her own experience with artwork and traditional knowledge being copied onto hotel carpets 

• Arts Law Centre of Australia’s CEO Louise Buckingham presented on how their Artists in the Black can help First Nations individuals with their own ICIP. 

• Craig Kerslake offered insight as an architect with a look inside his unique blueprint style that included elements of Country to show their cultural significance. 

• Aunty Julie Freeman offered an emotive perspective on cultural knowledge while Peter Cooley spoke about IndigiGrow’s programs working with youth to regenerate and conserve native plants of the Southern Beaches. 

• Laurie Perry, CEO of ACHAA Member Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation, shared experience from an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation working with ICIP knowledge. 

• Nathan Mudyi Sentance and Mariko Smith provided perspectives as museum collections managers, and how cultural sensitivity practices are being introduced to lead with respect and cultural safety when handling works and objects. 

• Museums of History NSW team led by Gulwanyang Moran spoke of their own growth in cultural sensitivity as part of their First Nations Community Access to Archives project, led by Aboriginal people. 

• Arlette Martin from the Copyright Agency shared some expertise on ICIP in relation to visual arts, the agency having partnered with artists to help develop their art into saleable products, showing practical use cases of the pathway from artworks to licensed products. 

• Gabrielle Sullivan explained how the Indigenous Art Code works and how it can better respond to artists’ concerns regarding ICIP. 

• Dr Terri Janke closed the conference. Considered a leading international authority on ICIP and the Solicitor Director of Terri Janke and Company, she encouraged open discussion on ICIP’s relevance to attendees. 

The ACHAA ICIP Conference was made possible with funding from the Federal Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) which is leading the drafting of pending ICIP legislation. Delegates in attendance came from across NSW, from Sydney to Mudgee, Coffs Harbour to Deniliquin, Newcastle to Corindi, Trangie to Armidale. The strengthening of our network and shared knowledge that unites us is one of ACHAA’s primary tenets, we are grateful for the time and presence of our network and wider Aboriginal community at our conference. 

Featured image: Bibi Barba presenting to delegates at the ACHAA AGNSW Conference. Photo by Joseph Mayers