The Carriageworks First Nations Fellowship is valued at $100,000 and supports a First Nations artist in the research and development of new work, spanning a two year period. During the course of the Fellowship, Carriageworks will make a significant investment in the Fellowship artist, with a contribution of $25,000 per year plus additional support in the form of in-kind venue hire, production and producing support.

The inaugural First Nations Fellow is Henrietta Baird. Henrietta is a Kuku Yalanji/Yidinji woman from Far North Queensland, and a Sydney based multi-disciplinary artist.

During her Fellowship from 2022-2023, Baird will continue her research of native bush plants from her Country, exploring movement based on the methods and processes of collecting, preparing and applying plants to make medicine, telling stories and preserving cultural knowledge through dance.

Baird is currently developing a performance called Plant A Promise, centering around land management and climate change from both scientific studies and First Nation’s cultural perspectives. Alongside her art, Baird studies a Certificate III in Land Management and conducts tours and holiday programs involving native Flora and Fauna and the history of the Sydney people. Plant a Promise has received support from Create NSW and the Australia Council for the Arts.

The Carriageworks First Nations Fellowship is open to artists across multiple disciplines. Carriageworks will undertake an Expression of Interest process in mid-2023 for the next 2024-2026 Fellow.