black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project
black&write! is a national project and the first of its kind in Australia. It was developed to foster a significant Indigenous writing community.
Launched by author Boori Monty Pryor and actor Ernie Dingo at the 2010 Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair, it is a bold, inspiring project designed to nurture talent, flex the creative imagination and change the landscape of Indigenous writing in Australia.
Why?
Since 1990, 36 Indigenous-authored novels have been produced, according to the National Library’s AusLit information. That 20-year total is fewer than the total of new novels published in Australia in a single year. This imbalance is recognised in many recent writing and publishing surveys and government-funded research studies.
While Australia is active in supporting its Indigenous athletes, artists and dancers, there is a recognised lack of long-term strategies to encourage and develop its Indigenous writing talent.
About
black&write! is made up of the kuril dhagun Indigenous writing fellowships and the kuril dhagun Indigenous editing mentorships. The project is designed to recruit, train and mentor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander editors to develop Indigenous authored manuscripts. In 2012 and 2013, black&write! also offers training in onscreen editing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the kuril dhagun Indigenous Onscreen Trainee Editor program. Through the program, trainee editors have the opportunity to observe and participate in the full manuscript development process for the fellowship manuscripts. The onscreen program is proudly supported by the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.
The fellowships, mentorships and onscreen program are named after the kuril dhagun Indigenous Knowledge Centre, located at the State Library of Queensland, South Bank. kuril dhagun is part of the 21-strong network of Indigenous Knowledge Centres located in Cherbourg, Palm Island, Woorabinda, Cape York and the Torres Strait.
black&write! aims to:
- train, mentor and promote outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers and editors,
- encourage lifelong Indigenous learning and literacy and foster a love of reading, writing and ideas in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Watch a video of the launch of the black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair on 22 August 2010.
Windows media (video): broadband
The black&write! Indigenous Writing and Editing Project comprising the kuril dhagun Indigenous Writing Fellowships and the kuril dhagun Indigenous Editing Mentorships is proudly supported by the Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund.
The kuril dhagun Indigenous Onscreen Editor Program is proudly supported by the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.
