Public Art Coordinator (First Nations Contract)

⁠⁠⁠he City of Ballarat is seeking a contractor to coordinate a public art commission located at Victoria’s first major sculpture park dedicated to public art created only by First Nations artists.

The City of Ballarat stands on the Traditional Lands of the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples. In Wadawurrung language, ‘Ballarat’ derives from words used to describe ‘a resting place’. Ballarat has been a resting place for tens of thousands of years.

The North Garden Indigenous Sculpture Park is located on the edge of Lake Wendouree, Ballarat and is an important site for the traditional owners of the land, the Wadawarrung people. Launched in 2019, the North Gardens Indigenous Sculpture Park is a significant project for the City of Ballarat and features artworks by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, celebrating the richness and diversity of culture and telling important cultural stories. The space is also a site for Indigenous plantings and interpretation of local flora and fauna.

The landscape masterplan for the Park details the project concept and approaches to public art; the natural and built significance of the site; and importantly the cultural connections to Country and the Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples occupation of the land surrounding Ballarat.

We are seeking a short-term engagement with a project contractor who has experience working with First Nations arts practice and public arts projects. Experience working in a Local Government environment or with formal art commissioning practices is considered highly advantageous to the role. The project has already been established and will be commissioned in 2022. The role will work closely with Council’s Public Art Coordinator and Coordinator Creative City and will consult with Traditional Owners and local First Nations community stakeholders.

The contractor will be paid a monthly instalment, on supply of invoices. 

All queries regarding this brief should be directed to: artsculture@ballarat.vic.gov.au