First Nations Creative Exchange

About the First Nations Creative Exchange 2025/26

Culture and storytelling has been at the heart of First Nations people’s connection to this landscape for more than 60,000 years. Arts and Culture Maribyrnong are committed to supporting and celebrating First Nations knowledge, leadership and creativity. In 2025/2026 we are partnering with Na Djinang Circus to develop and profile First Nations performing arts leaders of the future.

The First Nations Creative Exchange provides an opportunity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artists to explore the creation of a new physical performance (dance, circus, physical theatre, parkour, puppetry, Butoh or anything that utilises the body) through research and development, and then explore their concepts in a week-long creative development guided by Na Djinang Circus. Through the program, three (3) selected First Nations artists will be provided with a fee and venue to test and advance a new idea or show concept, working directly with Artistic Custodian, Harley Mann and the Na Djinang Ensemble.

The program aims to support the creative development of future First Nations creative leaders in the performing arts, whether as directors, choreographers, designers or other creative-making roles and hopes to enable one (or more) creatives to develop a future new work with Na Djinang Circus in the following years. Specific experience in circus or physical theatre is not required – your willingness to creatively develop your performing arts practice alongside Na Djinang Circus is all that is required.

An amount of $5,000 (ex GST) can be used towards artist fees plus consultants, materials, equipment hire (such as screens, staging, projector, etc), access or other costs to facilitate the week’s creative exchange.

Program guidelines

For more details about the exchange, inclusions and assessment criteria, please download the Guidelines for First Nations Creative Exchange with Na Djinang Circus(PDF, 850KB)

How to apply

Expressions of interest that include the information below can be submitted via email to arts@maribyrnong.vic.gov.au by Sunday 15 June 2025:

Your CV / Artist biography and an example of past work (images, reviews, web/social links)
A one-page outline of your idea/s for a project or design ideas that you’d like to explore with circus or physical theatre artists. Alternatively, you can submit a 2-3 minute video outlining your idea instead of a written proposal.
Please indicate which of the Creative Exchange weeks you are available, if selected.

Shortlisted artists may be invited for a 15-minute interview with the assessment panel.

Image by Jacinta Keefe, provided by Na Djinang Circus

First Nations Creators 2021-2023

First Nations Creators 2023: Na Djinang Circus

Na Djinang Circus will continue development and publicly premier the contemporary circus show, Of The Land On Which We Meet in the City of Maribyrnong.

First Nations Creators 2022: Uncle Bart Willoughby & Jody Haines

Uncle Bart Willoughby's project involved creating a series of podcasts exploring the foundations of indigenous music, how it contributed to indigenous rights and the proliferation of indigenous presence in other art forms. The project involving creating a collection of pod casts that interview a broad diversity of indigenous talent, exploring history, story, content, practice and context.

Jody Haines' project involved creating an immersive film/projection accompanied by a spatially oriented sound scape (up to 10 mins duration). The work explores themes of Aboriginal relationality and connectivity – the embedded and embodied, interconnectivity of all living things.

First Nations Creators 2021: this mob

this mob is an arts collective for emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives. Since 2016, this mob has been active in facilitating workshops, curating exhibitions, hosting events and disrupting across so-called Melbourne.

this mob's project, Black Wattle, is a keeping place: a collection of poetry, photography, collage and illustration developed by this mob arts collective over the last 12 months. Published by Incendium Radical Library, Black Wattle showcases the work of five key artists and the conversations they exchanged throughout lockdown. Common themes include tracing waterways, backyard gardens, thinking locally and relationships to place. After the onslaught of screens and digital communication in recent times, refresh your mind and senses with 40 pages of new work in print. Black Wattle was launched at Footscray Community Arts Centre in May 2021.

First Nations Creators 2020: Junjurri TV

Nathalie McLean achieved remarkable success with Junjurri TV, a children's program focusing on Indigenous storytelling. Originally planned as a large outdoor event, McLean moved to an online format when Melbourne went into lockdown, creating meaningful and educational content that could be accessed by a wide audience. Through Junjurri TV, McLean showcased her skills as a performer and writer while empowering First Nations creatives, educators, and children. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Junjurri TV received more than 2,800 views across various platforms. The project sparked community engagement and strengthened Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices within the wider community. While Covid-19 was an unexpected hit to the arts industry McLean was able to adapt, overcome and achieve a fantastic creative outcome that resonated with the community.