The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, which trades as DJAARA, has launched its new creative enterprise, DUMAWUL.
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Dumawul is the Djaara word meaning "thank you between two people, the giver and receiver".
The enterprise is designed to focus on cultural tourism and consultancy, and help artists market their work commercially and in a culturally-sensitive way.
Business manager of DUMAWUL, Leanne Rose-Monroe, said cultural tourism could involve Djaara guides leading tours on djandak, the Djaara word for country.
"We also run an accelerator program for Djaara creative businesses, which is really designed to build capacity and new markets for the Djaara enterprises but in a self-determined way," she said.
"We have some really fabulous partners that have come on board and take the markets not only locally, but within the state, nationally and even internationally."
Cultural consultancies could see more First Nations artists have their work embedded in major projects in central Victoria, which has been the case with the new Bendigo Govhub, Galkangu, and the new law courts.
"We've got a raft of baskets happening at once, but it's all about putting Djaara back into the landscapes and creating fantastic community understanding about the cultures that have been here for 60,000 years."
DUMAWUL was officially launched last Friday with a market and dinner at the Capital theatre featuring the work of 13 First Nations creatives, including Kerri Douglas, Peta Hudson and Rebecca Phillips.
Helping hand for First Nations creatives
Dja Dja Wurrung Group CEO Rodney Carter said there will be ongoing opportunities for artists, as well as local businesses, tourism operators and visitor centres.
"Tourism is a really key aspect of what DUMAWUL will do," he said.
"What we've found with our entrepreneurs as business people, sometimes they want to do the art or the craft, [but] they don't want to deal with all that other business stuff, ABNs and that.
"We created DUMAWUL to give them a hand, and we're hoping in the future if there's volume and demand for product, we'll even do warehousing, dispatch, online orders and become a bit more sophisticated."
Mr Carter said the prospect of other Djaara creatives seeing more opportunities is exciting.
"What we're seeing here is people creating a product, the challenge going forward is how to embed that product," he said.
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Jonathon Magrath
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
Jonathon has been living and working in Bendigo since March 2021, currently working as a general reporter. Contact him on jonathon.magrath@austcommunitymedia.com.au.
