Our Business – outreach in WA

In October 2024, Arts Law staff Jo-Anne Driessens (Artists in the Black Coordinator) and Chloe Hillary (Solicitor) travelled to Bunbury, Western Australia to attend the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) Our Business forum.  

On the first evening Jo and Chloe joined the other delegates – independent artists, Art Centre staff, board members, managers and artists from around the region for a twilight barbeque on the beautiful Wardandi Country. It was a wonderful opportunity to mingle with the delegates, hear about the creative workshops and cultural excursions they attended that day and get a flavour for the days ahead. 

Arts Law were joined by other professional bodies such as Indigenous Art Code, Copyright Agency, Cox Inall Ridgeway, Desart and Western Australian government departments on the line-up. 

Jo and Chloe delivered a day long workshop, with opportunities for one-on-one sessions with delegates, discussing Arts Law’s Artists in the Black offerings and teaching participants about copyright, moral rights, contracts and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property. The questions and conversations with the participants were engaging and enjoyable, making the day fly by. 

Jo and Chloe delivered another day long workshop on the topic of Governance. The attendees ranged from people who had never sat on a board and were thinking about starting an art centre to people who had worked in several art centres and other arts organisations and were currently sitting on multiple boards. We grappled with some interesting topics together and had good yarns about how to balance Indigenous culture with the rigid structures of corporate governance. It was a fascinating and lively day and a true privilege to hear about the range of experiences and concerns. 

Arts Law were thrilled to have the honour of sharing the space with all who attended – and we are looking forward to further engagement with all the delegates.