For twenty-five years Ku Arts has provided advocacy, services and resources, creative skills and professional development opportunities for artists and arts workers across all stages of their careers in support of a strong and dynamic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts sector.
Our open-access studio at The Mill continues to be a vibrant place of creation and collaboration for First Nations artists. The studio offers a space for supported learning, experimentation and a chance to connect with a broader arts community every Friday from 10 am - 3 pm. Over the last few months the studio has been buzzing with new work, fresh ideas and collective energy!
Read MoreIn 2025, the Ku Arts Symposium returned to Kaurna Yarta (Adelaide), aligning with the Tarnanthi Festival. The symposium brought together First Nations artists, art centres, curators, and cultural leaders from across the state, creating a vital space for storytelling, connection, and professional development.
Read MoreThis workshop was designed exclusively for artists who were already practising jewellery-making and ready to take their work to the next level. Over two days, participants expanded their technical skills, worked with high-quality tools and materials, learned where to source supplies, and began developing their own product lines.
Read MoreKu Arts hosted a two-day intensive Kulintja Palya Cultural Strengthening Workshop for staff from our member art centres in Yulara. The workshop was facilitated by Dom Barry, a clinical psychologist and proud Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara man, alongside Andrew Groom, a former social worker now working with the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Education Committee (PYEC).
Read MoreIn June 2025, Ku Arts delivered the Mai on Country women’s weaving camp, supported by Preventative Health SA. The camp provided opportunities for cultural reconnection, creative exploration, and community healing for women from the Far West coast of South Australia. Ten women from Yalata, Ceduna, and Adelaide participated in the camp. The program focused on weaving with marine debris and natural materials, alongside cultural activities such as fishing, fire cooking, and time on Country.
Read MoreIn 2025, the Artists on the Inside workshop series featured two intensive workshops led by Cedric Varcoe (Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Boandik, and Narangga) at Mobilong Prison, and Patrick Ferguson (Yawarrawarrka, Pitjantjatjara, Adnyamathanha) at Cadell Training Centre. Each workshop was designed to foster cultural connection, storytelling, and healing through creative expression.
Read MoreTo build on the silk painting workshops held in 2024 in McLaren Vale with artist Pilawuk White, Ku Arts invited Pilawuk back to lead a new round of workshops for First Nations artists from the Fleurieu Peninsula, Murray Bridge, Coorong, and surrounding regions. Ku Arts hosted four days of workshops at Victor Harbor's Coral Street Art Space from 26th to 29th of May 2025.
Read MoreThe 2025 First Nations Curators Program, delivered by Ku Arts, supported 10 emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers from across South Australia. Held over five days in May, the program offered participants an immersive experience with leading institutions such as the Art Gallery of South Australia, Artlab, JamFactory, Flinders University Museum of Art, and more. Participants explored collection management, exhibition design, curatorial processes, and the ethical responsibilities that come with working with First Nations stories and artworks.
Read MoreThe ceramic program at Kokatha’s Press Road, led by Adelaide-based potter, Ashlee Hopkins has centred on helping artists refine their individual artistic voices while preparing for the commercial market. Delivered in a supportive, hands-on environment, the workshops guide artists from creative exploration toward the production of high-quality, saleable works.
Read MoreOn 1 May 2025, Ku Arts proudly hosted an Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) workshop at our Adelaide office, facilitated by Solid Lines — a First Nations-led creative agency specialising in illustration, design, and culturally grounded education. The workshop was led by Emrhan Sultan, a Western Arrarnta, Luritja and Kokatha woman, and Nicola St John, both co-founders of Solid Lines and nationally recognised for their work supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to protect and advocate for their rights through visual storytelling and design.
Read MoreOur open-access art studio in Adelaide CBD offers First Nations Artists an opportunity to access free art materials, a space to work, and 1:1 support relating to any aspect of their art practice. The Ku Arts studio at The Mill started the year with a flurry of activity.
Read MoreOur Art Centre Program provides comprehensive support to art centres across South Australia. Through both on-site and off-site support, we aim to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of these vital cultural hubs, ensuring they continue to thrive and showcase the rich artistic heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Read MoreThe 2024–25 Mirnu Ceramics Program, delivered by Ku Arts in partnership with the Department for Correctional Services, was a culturally grounded, skills-based initiative designed to support Aboriginal men in custody at Yatala Labour Prison. Part of the broader Aboriginal Artists in Residencies (AAR) program, the 10-week initiative offered hands-on ceramic workshops, led by artist Ashlee Hopkins alongside respected First Nations artists Cedric Varcoe and Patrick Ferguson.
Read MoreKokatha staff, supported by Amandine Caire, designed and developed a step-by-step “How to Stretch and Prime Canvas” guide. This resource is now helping local artists prepare high-quality works for submission to the upcoming 2025 Malka Art Award.
Read MoreThe third Elevate workshop was led by Mardawi Sister Weavers, including master weaver and Ngarrindjeri cultural leader Aunty Ellen Trevorrow, alongside Bessie Rigney. Artists attending included Cedric Varcoe, Kristal and Dee Matthews.
Read MoreIn October 2024, Ku Arts assisted 38 artists in exhibiting their works through the Digital Tarnanthi Art Fair. Our support included managing artwork cataloguing, photographing the pieces and packaging sales. We provide these services free of charge, ensuring that 100% of the profits go directly to the artists.
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