Noongar Country 2027: Digital, Photography and Installation Art EOI for Aboriginal Artists in Western Australia
Bunbury Regional Art Gallery invites artists for Noongar Country 2027
Bunbury Regional Art Gallery (BRAG), operated by the City of Bunbury in Western Australia, is inviting Expressions of Interest for its Noongar Country 2027 exhibition. Curated by Candice Nannup, the programme asks Aboriginal artists living on Noongar Boodja to share their artistic practices and perspectives through an exhibition concerned with truth-telling, cultural connection and healing. The closing date for submissions is Sunday 20 December 2026.
The call spans painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, weaving, photography, installation, digital art and other contemporary or traditional practices. Digital image-makers and artists working across physical and electronic media are therefore included, but the gallery presents the exhibition as a broad cultural and artistic project, not a technology competition. The strongest starting point is an artist's own experience and intention, rather than the presence of a particular software tool.
The eligibility rule: Aboriginal artists living on Noongar Boodja
The gallery's exact eligibility wording welcomes 'all Aboriginal artists living on Noongar Boodja'. This is a geographically focused invitation grounded in an Aboriginal cultural context. It should not be rewritten as an unrestricted international open call, nor as a competition open to any artist worldwide who makes work inspired by Western Australia.
Noongar Boodja is described by the organisers as covering the south-west of Western Australia, with a broad area running from Geraldton on the west coast east to Southern Cross and south towards Esperance. The public page does not provide a rigid postcode-by-postcode eligibility test, so an Aboriginal artist unsure whether their residence is within the intended area should ask the curator. The published wording does not require every applicant to identify specifically as Noongar rather than another Aboriginal cultural group living on Noongar Boodja.
Truth-telling, connection to Country and healing guide the exhibition
The curatorial statement places truth-telling at the centre of the exhibition. It invites artists to examine histories that have been overlooked or misunderstood, the continuing impacts of colonisation, identity, displacement, cultural knowledge, environmental and social justice, resilience and collective healing. The gallery explicitly welcomes work that honours Elders and Ancestors or imagines different futures.
These are invitations to artists to speak through their own lived experiences and artistic approaches, not a prescribed checklist that every artwork must cover. Some may focus on personal memory or relationships with Country, while others may approach questions of community and social change through abstraction, photography or installation. Respect for cultural protocols and permissions for shared stories or knowledge is especially important; that is responsible editorial advice, not a newly invented requirement from the EOI form.
Digital art and moving-image documentation: what is actually accepted
The official announcement specifically names digital and installation practices among the eligible media, alongside photography and traditional art forms. The application form also provides space for links to audio or video documentation, making it possible to explain processes or time-based aspects of a proposed artwork. Applicants with digitally created imagery or interdisciplinary practices can consider how their work might be encountered by gallery visitors.
However, acceptance of digital art as a discipline does not guarantee that the gallery supplies a projector, screen, workstation, sound system, software licence or technical installation crew. An interactive or video-based proposal should specify its own requirements and ask BRAG which equipment, power outlets and exhibition arrangements are feasible. The published EOI does not state a universal video file format or maximum running time, so these should not be invented.
All skill levels are encouraged, including work still being developed
The gallery's downloadable form explicitly encourages artists at all levels of skill and working in any medium. The EOI can be accompanied by up to two images showing work similar to what the applicant hopes to exhibit. These may depict completed artworks or simple sketches, provided the submitted copies are not original artworks. This is helpful for artists whose intended work is still under development.
Artists should include an artist statement describing their practice, inspiration, preferred media and the themes they explore. For sample images, they may add titles, media, year of creation, dimensions, installation notes and links to relevant audio or video. These details allow the curator to understand how the proposed work relates to the exhibition, while leaving room for artists with different levels of formal exhibition experience.
How to apply online or with the council's paper form
The City of Bunbury hosts an online Expression of Interest form on its Noongar Country 2027 exhibition page. Alternatively, a downloadable paper submission package is available. The form asks for the artist's full name, residential address, suburb and postcode, contact details, language or cultural group if relevant, and a statement about their art practice. Applicants also indicate whether they would be open to touring their artwork after the Bunbury presentation.
The supporting materials are an artist CV of up to two pages if applicable and up to two representative artwork images. The application package directs applicants to send supporting images and the CV to nccurator@bunbury.wa.gov.au, or to provide hard copies at Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, 64 Wittenoom Street, Bunbury WA 6231. Artists should complete the main EOI and make sure any separately supplied files can be matched to it. The downloadable document requires an artist signature and date.
The exhibition runs from March to July 2027: key handover dates
Expressions of Interest close on Sunday 20 December 2026. The gallery's current schedule requires successful artworks to be delivered between 15 and 26 February 2027. Noongar Country 2027 is scheduled to open on Saturday 13 March and run through Sunday 18 July 2027. Artwork collection is scheduled for 21–28 July, after the exhibition ends.
The delivery and collection windows matter for artists working with heavy installations, fragile photographic works or specialist digital equipment. Planning should include packaging, transport, installation and later retrieval. The organisers have not stated an exact clock time for the 20 December deadline or a universal delivery service covering all artists. For artwork needing technical installation, confirm practical arrangements before making commitments or paying for transport.
Fees, funding and prizes: do not assume an advertised award
Neither the main 2027 EOI announcement nor its accompanying submission form specifies a guaranteed artist fee, production grant or prize amount for every person whose work is selected. A photograph and caption on the website refer to an overall award winner from the 2025 exhibition, but that historical reference does not establish a particular cash award or payment schedule for 2027.
An Expression of Interest is the first step in selection and is not a guaranteed exhibition place. The form requires the applicant to confirm that the information is accurate and that they are the creator of the artwork. Artists who need clarity about sales, insurance, any costs or fees, transport, rights to reproduce images or the possibility of touring should ask the curator for current conditions instead of assuming those arrangements from previous exhibitions.
Official source, downloadable submission package and curator contact
Official 2027 call and online EOI: https://www.bunbury.wa.gov.au/brag/exhibitions/noongar-country-2027-eoi . Council's downloadable application package, including instructions and statement fields: https://cdn.bunbury.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/NC27-Expression-of-Interest-Submission-package.pdf . Supporting images and CV may be sent to nccurator@bunbury.wa.gov.au; the gallery address is 64 Wittenoom Street, Bunbury, Western Australia.
Key details: invitation for Aboriginal artists living on Noongar Boodja; digital, photographic, installation and many other media welcome; submit the EOI by 20 December 2026; delivery between 15 and 26 February 2027; public exhibition 13 March–18 July; collection 21–28 July. For eligibility, exhibition arrangements or accessible application formats, contact the BRAG curator at nccurator@bunbury.wa.gov.au or telephone (08) 9792 7323. The organiser's latest information takes precedence if any dates or conditions change.