GRAMPIANS Health are encouraging all Wadawurrung, and broader First Nations, visual creatives to enter their region-wide Aboriginal art competition, which launched during NAIDOC Week.<\/p>\n
Chief operating officer of community and aged care Craig Wilding said the competition is part of his organisation\u2019s work to ensure hospitals, and broader health service facilities, are inclusive and safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had so much wonderful feedback about the Protector of his mob<\/em> artwork that features at Ballarat Base Hospital Drummond Street entrance, so we\u2019re really excited to be extending this opportunity across the region to spread the message of welcome and safety across Grampians Health campuses,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed to providing a safe and culturally sensitive health service for all members of our community, and this artwork competition is another way to show our commitment to our First Nations people across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n Grampians Health\u2019s Aboriginal hospital liaison officer team leader Emma Leehane said art is a way to bring more Indigenous culture to her organisation, and respect traditional owners, and the wider Indigenous community in Ballarat.<\/p>\n \u201cIncluding local culture, and country in our spaces through artwork helps to break down barriers and creates a space that feels accessible and more welcoming for our community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Nations people have knowledge of, and have been practicing, health and medical treatment for thousands of years, so it\u2019s really important that these artworks pay tribute to that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking for artworks that reflect local country, Bunjil our creator God, land and water elements, bush medicine and our community.<\/p>\n \u201cThe winning artworks will be displayed at their local campus, as a way of welcoming First Nations people onto that site.\u201d<\/p>\n The Aboriginal art competition is open until Friday, 12 August and a $2500 prize will be awarded to winning entries at four Grampians Health locations, including Ballarat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GRAMPIANS Health are encouraging all Wadawurrung, and broader First Nations, visual creatives to enter their region-wide Aboriginal art competition, which launched during NAIDOC Week. Chief operating officer of community and aged care Craig Wilding said the competition is part of his organisation\u2019s work to ensure hospitals, and broader health service facilities, are inclusive and safe. […]<\/p>\n