In June 2023, senior associate in our wills, estates and succession planning team, Conor Sheridan spent a week travelling throughout the Northern Territory providing legal advice to First Nations artists through the Arts Law Centre's (
ALC) Artists in the Black program.
The Artists in the Black Program
Since 2017, the Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation has worked in collaboration with the ALC to assist in protecting the cultural and artistic rights of Indigenous artists by providing pro bono support to their Artists in the Black program. The Artists in the Black Program forms part of ALC's community outreach program where solicitors travel to remote communities to provide legal advice and draft wills for Aboriginal artists.
Arts Law - Artists in the Black Northern Territory Trip by Conor Sheridan
I flew in to Alice Springs on Sunday 21 May and met with Donna Robinson, Director of Artists in the Black Legal, and Katherine Giles, Head of Legal and Operations, at Arts Law.
The next day we drove approximately an hour to Ntaria (Hermannsburg) to meet with some amazing artists at
Hermannsburg Potters.
The artists were very generous with their time, talking about their creative process and sharing the stories behind the artwork, which struck me as deeply personal as it represented their history and connection with the land.
Over two days while at Hermannsburg we provided advice on estate issues to the artists and art centre. We also prepared wills and reviewed existing wills, for 16 artists and their families. In addition to preparing wills and advising on estate related issues, Donna and Katherine spoke to artists about their intellectual property rights, licensing and copyright issues.
The following morning we attended the
Bindi Mwerre Art Centre in Alice Springs, which provides access to employment for artists with disabilities who produce incredible artwork from paintings to wood work and sheet metal work.
At Bindi Mwerre, Donna and Katherine delivered a workshop on artist's rights to artists and staff at the centre and discussed consignments of art works to galleries and royalty payment structure.
We then had a discussion about estate related issues and the importance of having a will to ensure the artists wishes are carried out, as well as issues relating to the Public Trustee.
It was a great experience meeting the artists, hearing about their passion for their art and seeing the great work the art centre is doing in facilitating the creation and distribution of the artwork.
The following day we travelled 5 hours across the magnificent landscape to Uluṟu where we attended two art centres near Uluṟu, being
Walkatjara and
Maruku Arts. Over two days we were able to assist a number of artists by reviewing their current wills to confirm that they give effect to their wishes and answer any questions they had.
We then also spent some time auditing the current wills held at each art centre to ensure they were securely stored and facilitated the transfer of the wills from Walkatjara and Maruku to the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation near the base of Uluṟu where the artists live.
It was an incredible experience, not only to visit Uluṟu and the surrounding areas, but to meet the artists and learn about their process and the way in which their art is inspired by the landscape, their ancestors and their connection with the land.
Conor shares his journey to the Art Centres, and the importance of the work he conducted alongside the ALC:
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It was such a pleasure being welcomed by the community, having the opportunity to sit with the artists while they worked and to discuss their wishes and what it meant for them to be able to provide for their families during their lifetime and after they have passed."