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Hello, We’re Barkly Regional Arts.

We’re the hub for arts in the Barkly, a region that covers an area of around 322, 717 square kilometres of Australia’s Northern Territory.

The largest town in the region is Tennant Creek, approximately 1000km south of Darwin and 500km north of Alice Springs, a place where vivid blue skies form a canopy over a vast expanse of red dust. And that’s where you’ll find us. From our visual arts and music studios in the heart of Tennant Creek, we do outreach with the area’s remote communities, producing art, music and events that tell the stories of the Barkly.

What we do

We collaborate with remote Indigenous communities to foster access, development and recognition of arts in the Barkly.

Why it matters

Art made here celebrates and preserves ancient cultures and languages. It brings the community together, fosters social and spiritual fulfilment and provides employment and income.

Barkly Regional Arts (BRA) was founded in 1996 as a networking and resource organisation for communities comprising sixteen language groups who live in the Barkly Region. These include Waramungu, Warlpiri, Alyawarr, Kaytetye, Warlmanpa, Wakaya, Mudburra, Wambaya, Jingili, Kudanji, Ngarnga, Bingbinga, Garrawa, Yanyuwa, Waanyi and Mara. By 2007, the organisation’s focus was firmly on the arts and BRA was granted a six-year Community Partnership agreement from the Australia Council of the Arts.

In addition to the ongoing support of the Australia Council, we’d like to acknowledge the generosity of Arts NT, the Commonwealth government’s Office for the Arts Indigenous Languages and Arts Program and the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program.

Our Purpose

Access

We facilitate the production of art and music by providing Barkly communities with access to studio space, materials and equipment.

Development

We encourage artists to develop their creative practice by facilitating ongoing, career-long professional development programs.

Recognition

We provide access to platforms for artists to exhibit and perform locally, nationally and internationally, supporting them as they build recognition for themselves and their communities.

Our Team

James WinwoodOperations Director
Blake ChittyVisual Arts Manager
Dirk KellyMusic Media Sound Engineer
Sandrine PomnitzProgram Manager
Sarvika MishraProjects Coordinator
Julie PetersonEpenarra Arts Worker
Janet ThompsonCanteen Creek Arts Worker
Mary JamesKulumindini Arts Worker
Annette NungalaEpenarra Arts Worker
Joshua KreuslerMusic Manager
Shauna Upton Events Manager
Derek PetersonStudio Assistant
Joseph Shannon Light & Sound Technician
Brayden WardMusic Technician

The Barkly Region

The Golden Heart of Australia.

283,648 km 2

of vast and diverse country in the Northern Territory, Australia.

70%

of the population is Indigenous.

16

language groups in Barkly Region.

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