Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols

Image: Publication cover - Warruwl (detail) by Lucy Simpson.

Create NSW is the NSW Government's arts and cultural driver, providing funding, support and helping to grow the sector. 

Create NSW acknowledges that

• a strong and vibrant Aboriginal cultural sector starts with supporting self-determination
• the Aboriginal arts and culture sector will manage, maintain and preserve Aboriginal cultures and 
• the right way to do cultural business is supported, understood and acted on.

About the Protocols

Driven by self-determination, these Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols (download in full below) have been developed as a series of suggested questions within five key principles that Aboriginal artists, arts workers and organisations should consider as a minimum standard.

These five principles have been identified as the most important elements to ensure there is Aboriginal self-determination embedded within the Aboriginal project or program.

The principles are:

1. Cultural Authority and Agency
   Where does the ownership lie within the project/program and who controls the direction that the project/program takes?
2. Recognising Rights and Maintaining Culture
   Are the rights of people being acknowledged and protected?
3. Prior Informed Consent and Consultation
   Are Aboriginal people being engaged in the right way and are their wishes being observed?
4. Integrity of Aboriginal Culture
   Is cultural knowledge and information being respected and managed in the right way?
5. Attribution and Sharing Benefits
   Are the right people getting the benefits?

Through the direction these Protocols give, we can ensure that the NSW Aboriginal cultural sector will continue to grow and thrive built on the foundations of authority, agency and relevance.

Download the protocols below

For more information contact us at protocols@create.nsw.gov.au

For more arts and culture sector resources, see the Resource Hub

The shift towards First Nations Artform Affirmation
Create NSW has changed the way ‘confirmation of Aboriginality’ is verified. We want to respect the different ways First Nations NSW people connect with their cultural heritage and Aboriginality through their arts and cultural practice.

Details of First Nations NSW Artform Affirmation is here.