ADOPT A LAWYER: NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH HERMANNSBURG POTTERS AND IKUNTJI ARTISTS

March 21,2017
The Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned and controlled art centres Hermannsburg Potters and Ikuntji Artists via the Artists in the Black Adopt a Lawyer program.

Artists in the Black (AITB) is a legal service for Indigenous artists, communities and arts organisations. It was established by the Arts Law Centre of Australia (Arts Law) in 2004 in response to the needs of the Indigenous arts community.

To continue expanding upon the success of the Artists in the Black program, Arts Law launched the pro bono initiative, “Adopt a Lawyer” in 2013. The program partners Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community art centres with a single law firm for a three-year partnership. It is designed to streamline the existing Artists in the Black support of art centres by facilitating a strengthened relationship between an art centre and a single law firm.

The program will work by allowing Hermannsburg Potters and Ikuntji Artists to contact one of our pro bono lawyers for advice on issues, providing timely and relevant commercial advice.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned and controlled art centres provide more than just a place to paint, and their role extends far beyond the scope of nurturing artistic talent and supporting the production of authentic Indigenous art. They are an integral part of community life in remote Indigenous communities. Art centres not only provide much needed income and employment opportunities, but also financial advice, health assistance and other basic needs such as food and after school care. They have a broader social and economic function in remote communities and support the preservation of culture by providing a focus for family connection and the means to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity.

This is an excellent opportunity to forge an ongoing relationship with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander owned art centre in a remote community, and we recognise that providing essential pro bono support is beneficial to the growth of the entire community. We are very proud of this partnership and our work with Arts Law. We look forward to building our relationship with Hermannsburg Potters and Ikuntji Artists this year and beyond.