Bumbira Arts and Culture Program showcases talents of young artists for Children’s Day

Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council’s Bumbira Arts and Culture Program and Opportunity Hub recently honoured the occasion of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day with an event which saw children from preschool to high school celebrated for their creativity and culture through the “Proud in Culture and Strong in Spirit” Youth and Emerging Artists Exhibition.

The exhibition was pulled together by the Bumbira Arts and Culture Program, which is dedicated to connecting and empowering local Gomeroi women, and the Opportunity Hub which supports local youth.

“We wanted to do something that can bring both programs together and showcase our youth in the community,” Krystal Lamb, Project Officer at Bumbira shared with National Indigenous Times.

“We have so many talented artists that are very young, we wanted to give them the spotlight and make them feel really valued and empowered.”

Three categories of art are on display, with two colouring in competitions for preschool and primary school aged children, and a canvas painting competition for high schoolers. Designs for the children who were colouring in were specially created by staff at the Opportunity Hub and Bumbira, reflecting the “Proud in Culture, Strong in Spirit ” theme.

Ms Lamb hopes the exhibition will become an annual event. In its inaugural year, over 200 submissions were received for the colouring in competition, alongside six canvases from young women in the community. 

“For some of these kids, this is the first time they’ve created Aboriginal artwork. It’s the first time they’ve been able to learn how to write a story through art, using culture,” Ms Lamb explained.

The exhibition is one of many efforts by Bumbira to educate and empower the community, with the service also facilitating education programs in local preschools, teaching Dreaming stories and language through song.

To read the original coverage of this story, as shared in the National Indigenous Times please see here.