First Nations Creative Pathways Program

Culture, connection and creative futures

A first job in the arts. A place at university. The confidence to walk into an audition, or see a creative career as a real possibility.

BlakDance’s First Nations Creative Pathways Program supported emerging First Nations creatives to take these next steps, connecting them with people, experiences and opportunities across Queensland’s creative industries.

Seventeen participants completed the five-day intensive a 94% completion rate with more than 22 industry professionals sharing their knowledge and opening doors. Participants have since moved into employment, traineeships, tertiary study and creative projects, including roles with QPAC, Ausdance Queensland and the Australian College of the Performing Arts (ACPA).

Meet the creatives

Meet the emerging First Nations creatives shaping their own pathways across the arts.

BlakDance worked individually with participants beyond the intensive, offering mentoring, career planning, industry introductions and help with applications. Professional headshots, biographies and résumés helped participants introduce themselves and their work, while practical support with Blue Cards and licences helped remove barriers to opportunities.

That support followed each participant’s interests and ambitions—whether they were preparing for an audition, applying for study, exploring a traineeship or developing a creative project.

Opening doors

What does a career in the creative industries look like? Who can help you get there? And how do you build a career on your own terms?

Across five days in Brisbane, participants explored these questions through workshops, performances, industry visits and conversations with working artists, producers and arts professionals.

They went behind the scenes at QPAC and Queensland Theatre, attended a Bangarra Dance Theatre performance and cast Q&A, and began building relationships across the sector.

First Nations cultural leadership, knowledge and protocols grounded the experience. Learning about Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) sat alongside practical career development, creating space for participants to strengthen their creative identities and explore where they wanted to go next.

Building confidence. Creating opportunity.

The program attracted 30 expressions of interest, with 18 participants commencing and 17 completing the intensive.

Its reach continued through employment, education, industry placements, mentorships, auditions and funding opportunities. Participants also spoke about stronger professional identities, cultural safety and a growing belief in their creative futures.

These relationships matter. They connect emerging creatives with an industry they can help shape, and with people who can support them along the way.

Creative careers on our terms

First Nations creatives bring cultural knowledge, ideas and leadership that shape the future of the arts.

Through the First Nations Creative Pathways Program, BlakDance placed culture, community and self-determination at the centre of career development. The program paired industry access with practical, personal support so participants could pursue their ambitions on their own terms.

We continue to build on these relationships and advocate for meaningful opportunities that support sustainable First Nations creative careers.

This project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government through its Indigenous Workforce and Skills Development Grant program.