Indigenous languages creative arts residency – round one announced

State Library is proud to announce the first 3 recipients of the Indigenous languages creative arts residency.

This landmark program celebrates, revitalises, and reimagines First Nations languages by supporting both emerging and established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives. Through contemporary and cultural expression, the residencies offer a powerful platform to amplify and honour the richness of Indigenous languages.

The inaugural residents have been selected for their language-rich, culturally grounded projects that reflect deep respect for community, Country, and intergenerational knowledge sharing.

The round one, 2025 recipients are Georgia Corowa, Boneta-Marie Mabo, and Dean Tyson.

Georgia Corowa’s residency project, Revitalising Iningai Language Through Song uses songwriting and filmmaking as tools for language revitalisation, reconnecting her with her paternal Iningai heritage. By composing and recording an original song in Iningai and producing a film clip grounded in Country, she aims to create an immersive and emotionally resonant cultural artefact.

The project includes a field trip to Iningai Country for direct engagement with Elders and community members. This hands-on experience will be supported by in-depth research using State Library’s Indigenous language collections, oral histories, and manuscripts. The journey will offer opportunities to learn from Elders, gather linguistic and historical insights, and incorporate authentic community narratives into both the song and the film. It will also foster collaboration with local Indigenous communities, ensuring the work is culturally respectful and representative of the Iningai people.

Reflecting on the project, Georgia shares:

“With over 20 years of musical experience, I’ve had the privilege of working on projects that celebrate First Nations languages and contribute to their reclamation, an endeavour I care deeply about. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to learn my Bundjalung and Iningai languages, but I’m now on a journey to reconnect with these vital parts of my heritage.”

“As a mother of two daughters who belong to Quandamooka Country, I see their confidence flourish when surrounded by a community that values and actively preserves language. That inspires me to deepen my own knowledge, not just for myself, but for my children, my family, and future generations.”

“This residency comes at a pivotal moment in my life. It’s a unique opportunity to continue learning, growing, and contributing to the revival of language through music.”

Artist Boneta-Marie Mabo received a residency for her multidisciplinary project Weaving Language Back to Country, which aims to revive the endangered  Mulgu language through weaving, storytelling, and film. Rooted in her  Mulgu heritage, the project brings together Elders and younger generations in a community-based, practice-led exploration of cultural memory and identity.

By combining traditional weaving techniques with language, Boneta-Marie explores how these practices can serve as tools of cultural resurgence, resistance, and reconnection—particularly for Manbarra people living in Brisbane. 

Reflecting on the project, Boneta-Marie shares: 

“Weaving in this context is not just a craft, but a method of storytelling and resistance—a way to hold memory, pass on knowledge, and reset our presence. It is both ceremony and research. The act of weaving language into fibre becomes a powerful way to reweave identity, kinship, and connection to Country—especially for community members living away from Palm Island and traditional lands.

“This is the right time for my project because the call to revitalise First Nations languages and cultural practices is urgent and deeply personal, especially for communities living away from their ancestral lands. Many Manbarra families now live in urban centres like Brisbane, following historical removals, systemic disconnection, and ongoing structural displacement.” 

“As a Manbarra woman, I see this residency as a powerful opportunity to bring our people together, reconnect with cultural knowledge, and spark intergenerational learning. It allows me to bring together my work as an artist and researcher, and my role within community, to honour our stories, restore broken threads, and weave something strong for the next generation.” 

Dean Tyson’s Goori Signposts project highlights the cultural significance of place by using Goori language to create “living language” through signage. Drawing from the existing tradition of bush signposts and transforming them into large-scale, fabricated metal signs, the project aims to both immortalise and normalise Aboriginal place names and significant locations and place them in everyday contexts rather than limiting them to political discourse.  

Dean will engage with the State Library’s Indigenous placenames resources and historical documentation to inform the content of each sign. These will be photographed in situ on Country before being considered for permanent installation.  

Reflecting on the project, Dean shares:  

“Knowing where you are, where you’re going, and where you cannot go can be very important. If you don’t know where you are, we can all find ourselves lost. That’s why saying these names—every day—is significant. Indigenous or not, we all live here. It makes all the difference. This is a practice for everyone—a truly accessible, everyday cultural resource.”

“The Goori Signposts project breaks down barriers of the unknown and challenges the ‘us and them’ mentality. It’s a different kind of artistic expression—bringing together the common Australian English language and the Goori languages of my people. The process begins with forming bush signposts on Country, then turning them into the urban signposts that everyone recognises.”

“These signposts help us all find our way—and embrace the language of the Country right where the sign stands. It’s about bringing ancient language into the future while also bringing our history forward in a shared, non-linear time. As a Goori of this generation, I want to share, immortalise, and normalise our shared history—for everyone in this place we all call home.”