In partnership with First Nations Fashion Design and Boomalli Art Gallery, Broadway Sydney will deliver an exciting NAIDOC program, featuring an Indigenous designer Pop Up store, an exhibition zone, bespoke Aboriginal artworks and workshops.
In a year where many Indigenous businesses have been severely impacted by COVID, Broadway Sydney is shifting its commercial strength to connect Indigenous designers from across the country with Sydneysiders during NAIDOC Week.
Broadway Sydney Centre Manager, Justine Saltmarsh, said partnering with Indigenous creatives during NAIDOC Week was a great opportunity to support Indigenous businesses and communities in a unique way.
“Broadway Sydney is in an incredibly unique position to provide established and emerging Indigenous artists and designers the opportunity to bring their work into the community through a physical bricks-and-mortar store, allowing predominantly online boutiques the opportunity to showcase their designs and test the waters in a new market,” she said. “We wanted to ensure that our participation reflected true support. As a retail centre, we wanted to do more than just exhibit and showcase, we wanted to connect them to our community of consumers through two Pop Up concepts and an interactive weaving workshop.”
Twenty Indigenous designers from different regions have teamed up and will be hosting the Indigenous Collective Pop Up Store, located on the third floor, in good company among Apple, Mecca and T2. For the first time, Sydneysiders will have access to shop Indigenous brands across the country, from Broome to North Queensland. The collection will feature art, ceramics, clothes, accessories, jewellery, textiles, homewares, and much more.
The Collective Pop Up Store is the result of a partnership with First Nation Fashion Designers, who curated the designer cast and engaged brands like MAARA Collective (Julie Shaw, Winner of the Fashion Design Award 2020 NIFA), Jarin Street (Ja Rin), AARLI (Teagan Cowlishaw), Nungala Creative (Jessica Johnson) and Grace Lillian Lee.
“The Indigenous Collective Pop Up is the first of its kind, providing First Nation designers with the opportunity to step out of the art fair, markets and festival scene,” said Teagan Cowlishaw, National Coordinator, First Nations Fashion Design. “This physical retail platform is instrumental in providing economic development within the Australian industry and allows shoppers to connect with Indigenous communities from across the country through our network of premium Indigenous brands.”
The activities started on Friday, 6 November, with a Welcome to Country and launch of the Indigenous Designers’ Collective Pop Up store, that unites 20 designers from across the nation. There is also an art exhibition and a Pop Up gallery curated by Boomalli Aboriginal Arts, which also engaged artists Maddison Gibbs and Debra Beale to create bespoke artwork for the retail centre.
On Sunday, 15 November, to celebrate the end of NAIDOC Week 2020, visitors to the centre will be able to join weaving workshops hosted by Wiradjuri artist, Peta-Joy Williams.
Bespoke Art installation and Aboriginal Art Exhibition Broadway has partnered with Boomalli Aboriginal Arts to create two bespoke Indigenous artwork installations, a digital and banner artwork by Barkindji artist Maddision Gibbs titled ‘Always was always will be’ and ‘Aboriginal Bush Lamps – Healing Gunya’ artwork pieces created by Gamilaraay/Wonnarua artist Debra Beale, to be displayed on the retail centre’s ground floor and travelator respectively in celebration of NAIDOC Week 2020.
The partnership also includes a collective Art Exhibition with more than 30 pieces of artwork from around the country, and a Pop Up gallery, where locals can buy paintings and ceramics.
