Desart

Desart has operated for 16 years providing resources, market development and advocacy for Aboriginal artists in Central Australia. It represents 45 Aboriginal owned Art Centres and some 3,000 Aboriginal artists.

Desart is the association of central Australian Aboriginal Art and Craft Centres.

This places Desart at the epicentre of a critical and exciting national industry in which Aboriginal artists portray their traditional and contemporary culture to the world. Aboriginal culture and connection to country underpins all the activities undertaken by artists, families, communities and their Art Centres. 

Everything we do at Desart is about culture, we build respect for culture, we provide space for culture, and we share culture with the world. 

Philanthropic support will be directed to building a new Aboriginal workforce in the arts. It is vital that more Aboriginal people are engaged in the critical administration work in Art Centres – a role that has been denied to them for so long through poor education and lack of opportunity. The Desart Artworker Program seeks to train and employ 60 Aboriginal people in Art Centres over the next three years. This means we need resources to provide accredited industry based training and mentoring on site in remote communities. At this time we have identified people with demonstrated interest and potential and there is a genuine opportunity for some to engage in tertiary education and for others to achieve certificate standard qualifications. Philanthropic support is needed to allow Aboriginal people to travel to training and for mentors to work on site with them in their workplace.

www.desart.com.au