Creating culturally safe and inclusive workplaces is essential to support First Nations peoples to thrive, feel valued and confident to share their culture and contributions within the creative industry.

Collaborating with First Nations peoples and communities creates rich, diverse and educative projects. Projects involving First Nations Culture and ICIP should be First Nations-led or codesigned.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, or ICIP, refers to all aspects of First Nations peoples’ cultural heritage, including the tangible and intangible. ICIP should be protected, and used and shared with respect.

Creating culturally safe workplaces is important to ensure that First Nations artists and creatives feel respected and valued, and safe to share their art and Culture. Workplaces thrive when they recognise and value First Nations cultural knowledge, perspectives and contributions.

Cultural events and ceremonies create spaces for both First Nations and non-First Nations people to come together. Acknowledgements of Country and Welcomes to Country show respect for First Nations peoples as the Traditional Owners of Country, including lands, waters and skies.

Sometimes disputes arise when working with First Nations people, organisations or cultural knowledge. Using culturally informed ways to resolve issues can make a big difference. It is important to approach these situations with respect, care and a clear understanding of everyone's rights.

Indigenous Data appears in many workplace contexts – in staff records, employment data, research projects, community engagement initiatives, in policies affecting First Nations peoples, and more. Ensuring this data is handled with cultural respect and community oversight supports ethical practice, strengthens relationships, and upholds Indigenous Data Sovereignty.

On this page you can find a directory of organisations and guilds that support First Nations artists, arts workers and arts organisations in Australia.