To celebrate, a special exhibition opens Friday, 7 February at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Artspace, honouring the festival’s lasting impact and the women who made it possible.
The exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the groundbreaking event through a collection of photographs, archival materials, and personal stories from the Aboriginal women who were at the heart of the 1985 festival.
Visitors will experience how this pivotal moment brought Aboriginal women together from across the country to celebrate their culture, songlines, and creativity through visual arts, dance, music, theatre, and ceremony.
The First Aboriginal Women’s Arts Festival was a transformative event that showcased the strength, talent, and resilience of Aboriginal women, many of whom have since become leaders in their fields. This exhibition highlights the ongoing legacy of that momentous festival, celebrating how it helped to shape the careers of future generations of Aboriginal artists and performers.
Aboriginal Elder and proud Wakka Wakka woman, Jo Willmot, Cultural Consultant on Black Women Back in Focus, shared her thoughts: “Black Women Back in Focus, along with the Adelaide Festival Centre, is thrilled to mark the 40th anniversary of the first National Aboriginal Women’s Arts Festival.
“We invite you to join us as we showcase key moments from this incredible event and celebrate the reconnection of Songlines. Your participation and support are vital to keeping this legacy alive.”
The Hon. Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Arts, added: “This exhibition is a powerful tribute to the cultural achievements of Aboriginal women over the last 40 years. The First Aboriginal Women’s Arts Festival remains a defining moment in our collective history.”
This unique retrospective brings together art, culture, and history, paying tribute to the powerful legacy of the First Aboriginal Women’s Arts Festival and its ongoing influence on Australia’s arts scene.
Black Women BACK in Focus is open from Friday, 7 February at the Adelaide Festival Centre’s Artspace, with gallery hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm.
