Create NSW: Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols

Aboriginal people have been maintaining, enhancing and sharing their unique culture for thousands of generations. This has always been governed through a wide range of protocols for ways to do cultural business through the guidance and direction from those with cultural authority such as Elders, cultural knowledge holders and keepers. This resulted in the longest living and continuous cultures in the world, a fact that is widely celebrated today.

Through guidance from cultural authorities, such as Elders and cultural knowledge keepers, a wide range of protocols help guide cultural business practices.

Driven by self-determination, these Aboriginal Arts and Culture Protocols have been developed as a series of suggested questions within five key principles that Aboriginal artists, arts workers and organisations should consider as a minimum standard. These five principles have been identified as the most important elements to ensure there is Aboriginal self-determination embedded within the Aboriginal project or program.

Create NSW has developed these protocols to give guidance and direction to the broader sector in the right way to work and do business with Aboriginal people and communities.