About us
The Emerging Curators
Vanessa Smart
Vanessa Smart is a Nyoongar yorga (woman) from Manjimup, Western Australia. She is a participant of the 2020 Emerging Curator program between Rottnest Island Authority and Western Australian Museum.
Samara King
Samara King is a Karajarri woman from Broome, Western Australia. She is a participant of the 2020 Emerging Curator program between Rottnest Island Authority and Western Australian Museum.
About the Emerging Curator Program
The Emerging Curator program was established by the WA Museum in 2011 and is now an ongoing program focused on working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the state, in partnership with other state and national organisations.
Two to three emerging curators are selected for each program. Over six months, participants are immersed in a holistic range of museum-related skills, gaining experience in curation and storytelling, engagement, exhibition development and project management, conservation and object handling, installation, public programs, marketing and media. Practical onsite experience occurs at the WA Museum’s venues and Collections and Research Centre, at partner cultural institutions in Perth, and at national institutions in Canberra.
The program is supported by the National Museum of Australia, and training sessions are held at institutions including Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), National Archives of Australia, Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Film and Sound Archive, State Library of Western Australia and Art Gallery of Western Australia.
The 2020 Emerging Curator program established a partnership between WA Museum and the Rottnest Island Authority. This year’s participants, Samara King and Vanessa Smart, were employed by the Rottnest Island Authority. They worked at the Rottnest Island Museum where they gained experience in caring for the collection; contributed to early planning for the Museum’s upcoming refurbishment; and created new interpretative signage for the Wadjemup Aboriginal Cemetery. Finally, the most significant public experience researched and developed by the two curators was to develop a small exhibition about Wadjemup (Rottnest Island). This physical exhibition was due to be launched during NAIDOC week in July 2020.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions and consequent uncertainty the 2020 program did not occur un the usual way. The curators were unable to complete the training module in Canberra and the exhibition outcome was converted to a digital format.
This project is supported by:
Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank everyone within the Nyoongar community who shared their knowledge, some who wished to remain anonymous and those we were unable to get on the record.
Barbara Bynder
Margaret and Russel Gidgup
Stan Headland
Meg McGuire Walter McGuire
Brendan Moore
Wesley Sibosado
Wadjemup Aboriginal Reference Group
The spirits of our ancestors who have guided us.
Contributors
This digital exhibition would not be possible without the contributions of the following people.
Nani Creative
Nani Creative is a proudly Western Australian collective, dedicated to meaningful, authentic design for Aboriginal tourism, business and community projects.
Kevin Wilson, Nani’s Creative Specialist, is a Wongai man from the Goldfields region of Western Australia. As well as being a founding partner of Nani Creative, Kevin facilitates youth art workshops and creates large-scale outdoor artworks. Nani is pronounced ‘nah-nee’ and means ‘rabbit’ in Maduwongga, the language of Kevin’s mob.
Pip Kelly
Pip Kelly is a Western Australian curator, film-maker and digital producer who produces intimate, heartfelt projects that shine a light on stories untold. Her award winning films and projects focus on history, truth-telling, photography and transformation.
Bo Wong Photography
Bo Wong is a Western Australian photographer who is passionate about promoting creatives with strong imagery and a collaborative spirit. Bo co-hosts Soul Traders Podcast, a podcast for freelancers and photographers as well as running workshops and a mentorship program for creatives.
Black Russian Productions
Additional film footage from Black Russian Productions.
Dr Glen Stasiuk: Director/Producer
Damian Fasolo: Cinematographer
Tim Eng: Editor and Camera
Ben Morton: Sound & Sound Edit
Fremantle Herald Newspaper
Fremantle’s only independent and locally owned newspaper, the Fremantle Herald, freely granted access to their archive collection of newspapers. The Herald broke stories on the coverup of the Cemetery and activist activities on Wadjemup in the early 1990s and continues to cover local issues today.
