Expressions of Interest
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Installation View, Strong Roots Rising, 2024. Ipswich Community Gallery. Photography by Jim Filmer.
Ipswich Community Gallery
Ipswich Elders Project 2026
Installation View, Strong Roots Rising, 2024. Ipswich Community Gallery. Photography by Jim Filmer.
Project Overview
Since 2023, Ipswich Art Gallery has actively partnered with First Nations artists and communities to deliver an annual exhibition in the Ipswich Community Gallery, showcased during the month of July and aligned with NAIDOC Week celebrations.
This permanent addition to the Ipswich Art Gallery’s programming reflects Ipswich City Council’s broader commitment to valuing and highlighting Australia's First Nations peoples' knowledge, culture and creativity; and making the gallery a culturally safe and welcoming place for all First Nation's communities.
In partnership with First Nations stakeholders, Ipswich Art Gallery identified an opportunity to record and share the stories of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Elders who have traditional and historical connections to the Ipswich region – through written stories, portrait photography and video recording.
The gallery will partner with First Nations photographer and artist Jim Filmer, and a Cultural Liaison (selected through an expression of interest process) to collaborate and collate fifteen Elder’s stories.
The results of this project will be exhibited in the Ipswich Community Gallery in 2026. This exhibition aims to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of Elders to their communities and an ongoing responsibility towards truth telling in the Ipswich region.
Keys dates
- EOI Open: Monday 27 October 2025
- EOI Closed: Monday 24 November 2025
- Successful applicant notified: Monday 8 December 2025
- Elders Interviews begin: Monday 5 January 2026
- Elders Interviews finish: Friday 13 March 2026
- Photo/Video and Stories completed: Friday 17 April 2026
- Exhibition opens: Saturday 27 June 2026
- Exhibition closes: Sunday 26 July 2026
For additional questions please email info@ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au
Elders Expressions of Interest
Project Description
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Elders are invited to share their histories, stories and vision for their community, to be included in an upcoming exhibition, in the Ipswich Community Gallery in 2026. The exhibition will highlight the invaluable role Elders play in their community and provide a safe space to share important truths about Ipswich’s histories and legacies.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this project, the Elders must either be:
- Traditional Owners of the Ipswich region, a descendent of the Yagara/Yugara Language Group (the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul People), living in the Ipswich region.
- First Nations descendants of the Deebing Creek and Purga Mission, living in the Ipswich region.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in, actively contribute to, and are considered an Elder by their community in the Ipswich region.
Remuneration
| Contribution | | Fee |
| Permission to interview, take photos and video recording for display in the Ipswich Community Gallery in 2026. | | $120 (excluding GST) |
Application Form
Application forms can be submitted via the link below, handed in physically to the Ipswich Art Gallery front desk or emailed to info@ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au.
