The first workshop was hosted by Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre in Yirrkala, Northeast Arnhem Land in May 2013. It brought together 13 conservators from significant museums and galleries across Australia and over 30 Aboriginal artists from Art Centres in Arnhem Land.
Harvesting Traditional Knowledge is a two-way learning platform that brings Australian Indigenous traditional knowledge masters together with conservators from Australian cultural institutions to share different approaches to caring for Indigenous cultural material.
The Harvesting Traditional Knowledge project has connected over 120 Indigenous artists and arts workers from remote Indigenous Art Centres in the Tiwi Islands, Darwin/Katherine, Arnhem Land and Kimberley regions (an area spanning 1000km2 and over 50 language groups) with each other and with 24 conservators and curators from 14 key cultural institutions across Australia. The project included four workshops at remote Indigenous Art Centres, the production of a documentary, short videos and podcasts, as well as a project information booklet and website.
Harvesting Traditional Knowledge has resulted in a strong network of people sharing knowledge about the material science of cultural objects; how they are made, what they mean to the artists and their communities, and how to best care for them and make them to a high quality standard.
The Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA) delivered the workshops with key project partners, Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre (Yirrkala, North East Arnhem Land), the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, University of Melbourne and host institution Mowanjum Art and Culture (Derby, West Kimberley).
The project is part of the Inspiring Australia initiative and was funded over two years (2013-2014) by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education. It builds on ANKAAA’s Digital Archiving and Keeping Place Support Program funded through the Australia Council for the Arts.