Community Arts Network

NAIDOC Week – 50 Years of Deadly!

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, we’re sharing one of our favourite artworks, the Place Names Melville Interactive Map. This innovative and beautiful digital map enables you to hear from Noongar Elders and Traditional Owners, to learn the meanings and cultural significance of 17 Noongar placenames from the Melville area.
Explore the map here: https://placenamesmelville.com.au

Read more about the map, and how it was created here: https://www.can.org.au/arts/artwork/place-names-melville-interactive-map

The Place Names Melville map was created during Place Names Melville, a project produced by CAN, Moodjar and the City of Melville, and funded by Lotterywest.



City of Melville
Moodjar
Lotterywest

NAIDOC Week – 50 Years of Deadly!

Last Thursday, respected Noongar Elder and activist Uncle Ben Taylor Cuiermara attended the launch of the Ngaluk Waangkiny exhibition at Nala Bardip Mia – Margaret River HEART.

Meaning 'Us Talking' in Noongar, Ngaluk Waangkiny is a powerful multimedia storytelling project honouring 10 respected Noongar Elders from Boorloo (Perth) who shared their life journeys to preserve truth, culture and legacy for future generations.

Their stories are poignant, powerful and at times heartbreaking and harrowing – but they have been laid bare so that future generations are aware of Australia’s often hidden Black history.

Uncle Ben shares:
"I want to be remembered as Uncle Ben Taylor Cuiermara who fought for justice and his people."

CAN Executive Producer Michelle White and photographer Cole Baxter joined the celebration alongside community members on the eve of NAIDOC Week.

The exhibition, presented by Art On The Move, is showing at Nala Bardip Mia – Margaret River HEART until 3 August 2026.

Pictured:
Executive Producer Michelle White with Uncle Ben Taylor Cuiermara & Photographer Cole Baxter
Traditional Owner Zac Webb’s setting the tone with a warm welcome
Michelle White
Community members who attended the opening night.

Photography: Lauren Trickett Photography


Arts Margaret River
ART ON THE MOVE
Aesop
City of Perth
Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport
Creative Australia
ABC Australia

NAIDOC Week – 50 Years of Deadly!

This week we're celebrating by sharing artworks and projects created with the Noongar communities we're honoured to work alongside.

This year's NAIDOC theme, 'Fifty Years of Deadly', recognises the past, present and future. We're starting with Moorditj Kulungar (Strong Kids), a project helping children and families learn Noongar language through song.

Moorditj Kulungar was written and recorded as part of the Lullabies Kwinana Project by members of the Moorditj Kulungar Playgroup, supported by Noongar musicians Cyndy Moody (DjoonyArt Creatives) and Kobi Arthur Morrison

Listen to the song alongside the accompanying book below!
https://vimeo.com/1207656780


National NAIDOC
AusGov Office for the Arts
City of Kwinana

What a blast we had at the third residency for Now Sounds Katanning!

We were thrilled to welcome special guest mentors Madi Middleton, one of the singer-songwriters behind the standout track “Lost in Space” from Now Sounds Midwest, alongside talented music producer Rob Shaker and street artist Shah Jackey, a much-loved former Katanning local.

Stay tuned for our next blog post to hear more about the residency. In the meantime, enjoy this gallery captured by Astrid Volzke. Our PhotoStories

Shake Down Records
Flewnt
Optamus
Shah's Art Studio

Healthway
Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport
Creative Australia
Australian Government Department of Social Services