Our partnerships with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation and Darwin Festival
In August each year, Darwin becomes the centre of Australia's arts calendar. Two events anchor it: the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, now in its twentieth year, and Darwin Festival, the country's only tropical arts festival. Orikan is proud to partner with both.
Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation
The Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation is a First Nations-led organisation that exists to ensure First Nations arts and cultures are strong and celebrated. Its keystone event – the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) – is the largest of its kind. DAAF is an ethical Art Fair for Art Centres to sell directly to the public, ensuring First Nations artists can generate meaningful income and share their art, stories, and culture with their own voice. The Foundation brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and Art Centres from every corner of the country, with 100% sales returned directly to the artists and the community-owned Art Centres that represent them.
This year’s Fair represented more than 1500 artists and 74 Art Centres from across Australia. This August, DAAF celebrated its 20th anniversary, commemorating two decades of strong First Nations art and culture.
On Country in West Arnhem Land
Alongside other partners, our CEO Peter Neale joined a cultural immersion experience hosted by the DAAF Foundation. The group travelled through Kakadu and across Cahills Crossing into West Arnhem Land to visit Injalak Arts in the Gunbalanya community. The day included hands-on weaving workshops with artists, a screen-printing workshop, visit to the Arts Centre, and a guided tour of ancient rock art on Injalak Hill.
Darwin Festival
Supported by the City of Darwin, Darwin Festival is Australia’s only tropical arts festival. For 18 days, the festival draws audiences from across the Territory and beyond to enjoy the music, theatre, dance, comedy, visual art and food that fills the city. Festivals of this size run on volunteers, and this is where our partnership does its most practical work. PayStay supports the volunteer program that keeps the Festival moving. Our volunteers were on the ground in PayStay shirts throughout, working behind the scenes.
“DAAF and Darwin Festival are built by people who put an enormous amount of work into them. While it is one thing to sign a partnership agreement, it’s another to meet with the artists and Art Centres it supports, and see exactly what that funding makes possible,” Peter Neale, CEO, Orikan
Orikan works with councils and cities across Australia, including in the Northern Territory. Partnerships like these are one way we contribute to the communities our customers serve. To the artists, organisers, volunteers and communities behind both events: thank you.
Orikan is a Premium Partner of the DAAF Foundation. PayStay is a Star Partner of Darwin Festival.
Learn more
- Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation – daaf.com.au
- Darwin Festival – darwinfestival.org.au
