The Aboriginal Culture, Heritage & Arts Association Inc (ACHAA) has been established with facilitation by M&G NSW to support Aboriginal owned cultural venues in NSW. It is a key recommendation from the 2011 summit Keeping places & beyond: building cultural futures in NSW organised by M&G NSW and was unanimously further endorsed by community consultations.
Join Wiradjuri Man and key driver behind ACHAA Steve Miller while he delivers a panel discussion with Culture Centre and Keeping Place operators.
Panel Chair Steve Miller is a Wiradjuri man with almost 30 years’ experience in Aboriginal arts, culture and heritage. In his nominal role as Aboriginal Programs Manager for Museums & galleries of NSW he is also the General Manager for the NSW Aboriginal Culture, Heritage & Arts Association Inc.
Proud Gumbaynggirr woman Alison Williams is Director of Wadjar Gallery at the Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Corindi Beach, north of Coffs Harbour. Born in Sydney and growing up around Wollongong, Alison always harboured a feeling of belonging to her mother’s family and country, the northern lowlands of Gumbaynggirr Nation. It was this sense of belonging that brought her to the North Coast of NSW to settle, establish a studio and continue her artistic and professional development, strengthening roots within the community to teach, advocate, support family and artistic practice in regional NSW.
Anaiwan woman Rose Lovelock is the Director of the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre with a background in academic research and higher education (UNE). Rose experienced first-hand the effects of intergenerational impacts of the stolen generation practices. These early childhood experiences led to Rose’s desire to use her higher education and research experience to develop teaching skills and practices that drive self-determination and self-management in Aboriginal communities. In her current role, Rose is passionate about building relationships between communities by improving access for the wider community to the Aboriginal arts and ceremonies presented at the Centre.
Biripi woman Nicole Chaffey comes from a background in Fine Arts and is a Newcastle local. Alongside an established studio practice her postgraduate studies into contemporary Aboriginal experience, furthered by University of Newcastle Industry Scholars and MGNSW/Arts NSW Aboriginal Emerging Leaders mentorships, led her career towards curation and creative programming at the University of Newcastle and MAC (Museum of Art and Culture) yapang, Lake Macquarie. In 2018 she was appointed Director of Baluk Arts, a not-for-profit Aboriginal Art Centre on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. She returned to Newcastle in 2021 to become Murrook Culture Centre Director to establish an industry-leading museum and visitor experience space.