The Brisbane Festival Indigenous Advisory Group (IAG), established in 2005, ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are central to the festival’s programming and operations. Comprising of diverse Elders, artists and community leaders, the IAG provides cultural expertise and guides the festival’s Reconciliation Action Plan. Their influence has fostered cultural safety, increased Indigenous artist representation and shaped key projects like Skylore.

The IAG’s work has also led to over $3 million invested in Indigenous arts and the creation of roles that support Indigenous leadership, furthering the festival’s commitment to reconciliation and cultural engagement.

Deadly Coders is an Indigenous-led charity dedicated to increasing Indigenous representation in technology and digital industries. Their flagship initiative, Deadly Coders Academy, creates pathways into the tech industry for Indigenous students and job seekers. It provides hands-on learning programs that develop practical skills in software engineering and cyber security, aiming to address Australia’s critical skills shortage and improve diversity.

The academy has successfully connected Indigenous talent with major Australian companies, facilitating entry into traineeship programs and securing meaningful employment in high-demand tech fields. By focusing on critical skills shortages such as cyber security and software engineering, Deadly Coders has addressed the industry’s needs and played a key role in promoting long-term diversity, equity and inclusion within the tech sector.

Future Forward, launched in 2024 by Veolia, is a program designed for First Nations people, offering a unique and comprehensive five-week vocational training experience as well as new opportunities to those seeking meaningful career development. Importantly, participants enter the program with a clean slate, free from bias and judgement, allowing them to focus on their growth and development.

The program is structured around three pillars: vocational training, immersive hands-on learning experiences and ongoing support through cultural mentorship. The integration of cultural elements allows participants to develop essential skills, resilience, goal-setting strategies, and self-determination.

The Bundaberg Educational Precinct is a collaborative alliance of 15 state schools within the Bundaberg Electorate, working in partnership with government agencies, community organisations and Traditional Owners to address educational and community challenges through place-based, culturally responsive initiatives.

The First Nations Signage and Oral History Project reflects a shared commitment to truth-telling, cultural pride and reconciliation. Developed by the First Nations Working Party, a collective of Traditional Owners, Elders, First Nations organisations, local community education bodies, and school leaders — this initiative ensures First Nations voices, stories and cultural knowledge are authentically embedded in 25 schools across the Bundaberg region.

Radiant Life College’s Cross-cultural Exchange and Education Program encourages reconciliation by bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous students together through hands-on learning experiences.

Led by Indigenous mentors and educators, these exchanges provide a unique opportunity for non-Indigenous students and teachers to engage with traditional knowledge, storytelling and cultural practices, strengthening respect and understanding across communities. Students gain a sense of accomplishment, gaining a deeper appreciation for the significance of land and culture through Indigenous ways of knowing.

A major 2025 exhibition for State Library of Queensland, The unbroken spirit of the Kalkadoons, is a tribute to survival and the enduring power of culture to heal the land and its people, and shares Colleen Sam’s family story through paintings, digital stories and archival materials.

The exhibition has been co-designed with the Sam Family, the Kalkadunga Traditional Owners and Knowledge Holders, alongside State Library staff through regular engagement and consultation at State Library.

The exhibition features a dedicated learning and healing space, including a yarning circle for community discussions and family-friendly labels displayed to support young people’s exploration and learning.

The unbroken spirit of the Kalkadoons opens the way for the State Library to continue its journey to be better, embracing First Nations knowledge, sharing First Nations stories and being intentional in decision-making with First Nations peoples and communities.

Weir State School introduced the Weir Indigenous Didgeridoo and Dance Academy aiming to preserve and celebrate Indigenous culture. The academy enhances cultural awareness and understanding, empowers Indigenous students through engagement, improves attendance, and strengthens community connections.

With 50 boys and 35 girls, each Friday afternoon the students engage in First Nations learning guided by Wulgurukaba Walkabouts First Nations peoples. This ensures local traditional cultures and respects are threaded within their performances and school programming.

In 2024, the academy performed at 22 community engagements in both school and corporate settings.

The St George Harmony Centre, situated on the Balonne River roughly 500km from Brisbane, stands as a beacon of reconciliation. This centre is more than a building; it’s a living, breathing space where First Nations art, language and culture flourish through an art gallery, offices and a recording studio focused on keeping a rich 60,000-year-old heritage vibrant for both residents and visitors. Not only is it a cultural touchstone, but it also offers immersive experiences and boosts local employment for First Nations people.

The scale and complexity involved demanded highly effective project governance arrangements and thus, the Project Control Group (PCG) was formed. The PCG comprised members from Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers, QBuild and the South West Indigenous Corporation. This partnership was formalised through grant funding and project agreements and relied on each partner bringing their strengths to the table along with a willingness to listen and understand each other’s needs.

North West Hospital and Health Service is reducing cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in remote First Nations communities through an innovative partnership with Orange Sky to deliver free laundry facilities to residents in remote communities including Mount Isa, Doomadgee and Mornington Island.

Acute rheumatic fever is a preventable condition caused by untreated Group A streptococcal infections, often caused by home or environmental factors and disproportionately affects First Nations people in remote areas. Left untreated, it can lead to serious heart valve damage causing RHD which can lead to heart failure and stroke.

Since commencement of this partnership in 2022, there has been a 57 per cent reduction in the number of RHD cases. The partnership focuses on improving hygiene, health education and increasing the frequency of visits by their skin health teams to combat this chronic issue.

RoadTek and Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) collaborated to deliver two key projects on Minjerribah — upgrading Ballows Road, enhancing access to the Quandamooka Arts and Cultural Centre, and upgrading the One Mile Access Road, crucial for community and emergency services access. This collaboration laid the foundation for knowledge transfer in road construction for QYAC and cultural awareness for RoadTek, as well as mutual upskilling and capability development.

The work completed paves the way for future partnerships in the delivery of public infrastructure on Minjerribah and sets a new precedent for future ventures where cultural heritage preservation and infrastructure development are aligned for more harmonious and impactful community-focused projects.

Through a desire to understand and promote Aboriginal culture within the Bargara community, a partnership between Taribelang Cultural Aboriginal Corporation (TCAC) and Moorhead Family Development Pty Ltd was established.

In 2020, the idea of building a Yarning Circle in a significant place along the Burnett River was conceived. Through the established partnership and liaising directly with Taribelang-Bunda emerging and existing Elders, the Yarning Circle at Bargara Headlands Estate was an effort to facilitate genuine reconciliation. Growing on this initiative, a gallery with paintings from Taribelang artists were replicated (with permission) in mosaics, using only local language, ensuring their longevity.

The Yarning Circle and gallery continues to host gatherings for cultural exchange and community activities and is a safe place for couples to discuss issues in a spiritual, beautiful and non-threatening space.