An Indigenous art centre in West Arnhem Land hopes government funding of almost $1m will provide a major economic boost to the Gunbalanya community and attract tourists who come to visit nearby Kakadu.
The Northern Territory government hopes the centre and its products will also help boost tourism to the territory, as part of its economic development in the aftermath of major projects winding down.
The chief minister, Adam Giles, visited the Injalak interpretive arts centre on Wednesday for the official opening of its new visitors centre and gallery for which the territory and commonwealth governments contributed $100,000.
The centre, owned and operated by the Kunwinjku people, has also been granted $881,000 in federal funding for a new workshop, which will increase the hand-screen-printing output from about 40 metres a day to 100 metres.
Donna Nadjamerrek, chairwoman for the art centre, said it provided opportunities for Gunbalanya’s estimated 1,000 Indigenous residents.
“A lot of people are proud because now they have chance and opportunity,” she said. “It’s very good to see what Injalak has done as an Indigenous-owned business.”
The federal funding boost would provide multiple jobs for locals, not just artists.
“We are doing it for the sake of the future and beyond,” Nadjamerrek said.
The artwork, woven products and screen-printed fabrics and clothing are highly sought after, and demand means the centre cannot consider exporting yet, the mentor manager, Felicity Wright, said.
Designs are by local artists, and Gunbalanya residents are also employed as weavers, printers, designers, and workshop and gallery workers.
“We put into the community, in terms of purchasing arts and crafts, around about half a million dollars a year,” said Wright, adding the centre was “on track” to double that.
She said Injalak was already going “gangbusters” and they hoped to begin work on the new workshop before the end of 2015. Injalak products are also available at Darwin’s Mindil markets, and in Kakadu.
Wright said she was concerned that much “Indigenous” art available at tourist shops was produced overseas using plagiarised designs.
Giles said the centre had developed over the past 25 years to be “one of the leading art and cultural centres in the Northern Territory”.
“This is part of an investment opportunity from an economic development point of view where we can continue to see development, tourism and job creation into the future,” he said.
He welcomed the federal government’s decision last week to return to a form of the community economic development program that preceded the unpopular remote jobs and community program.
“We should be able to provide opportunities for people to participate in the economy, and where there aren’t real private sector jobs we need to create activity so people can participate,” he said.
In this year’s budget the Northern Territory government allocated $4.5m for a tourism infrastructure development fund – an increase of $4.25m on last year – as the construction stage of the $35bn Inpex project winds up and thousands of jobs are shed.
Applications for the fund are not yet open.
Giles said the refurbished Injalak centre would encourage tourists to stay longer.
“It’s all part of the CLP government’s plan to drive the development of North Australia and build a $2.2bn visitor economy by 2020,” he said.
