The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Education Centre in Cairns is a vocational school of Arts aimed at the development and realisation of Aboriginal artistic talent.
In every area of the arts where Aborigines are participating there is an intense surge of creative vitality. Once could call it a renaissance period. When I began writing poetry, Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Noonucul) was the only recognised poet.
The Power Institute at the University of Sydney ran a 10 week program devised by Susan Simons and Bronwyn Bancroft of panel discussions, presentations, films/videos and seminars exploring many of the issues of Aboriginal art in Australian society.
"From the time that whites arrived in Tasmania and up until 1983 Aboriginal performing arts especially theatre arts, had become almost as extinct as whites would have people believe Tasmanian Aborigines were. Not so!"
The Aboriginal National Theatre Trust Limited arose out of Forums of Aboriginal Performing Artists, Playwrights and Technicians attending the first National Black Playwrights Conference held at the Australian National University in Canberra 1987.