Call for Submissions: Indigenous Female Artists
Represent our exciting research project with your artwork and win $5,000!

Ember Connect is partnering with the University of Tasmania, Curtin University and the Batchelor Institute on an exciting research project that aims to establish best practice frameworks to support and empower Indigenous women in their educational and career journeys.

We are giving Ember Connect members a unique opportunity to create a piece of digital artwork to visually represent this important work.  In return for the use of your artwork, we’ll give you $5,000!

The selected artwork will be used in promotional materials, reports, and other project-related media.

The creative brief:

Ember Connect invites artists to capture the dynamic spirit of First Nations women in Australia by exploring the transformative power of education and employment, alongside personal empowerment and cultural strength. Artwork must visually represent themes of education, employment, empowerment, and cultural strength in the context of First Nations women in Australia.

We encourage you to create a piece that not only celebrates these vital aspects but also inspires a dialogue around progress and resilience. Let your creativity shine as you contribute to a compelling narrative that empowers communities and uplifts voices.

Submission Criteria:

• The submitter must be an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman residing in Australia.
• The submitter must be a member of Ember Connect.  Don’t worry if you’re not already a member, its free and easy to join, just click here to join.
• The artwork must be an original piece of work from the person making the submission and the piece cannot have been previously published or used for other projects.
• The submitter must have legal ownership over the item submitted.
• Artists can submit up to two (2) digital artworks for consideration.
• The winner will maintain ownership of the piece and their intellectual property, however they must assign rights to Ember Connect and the research partners allowing their use of the artwork related to any aspect of the research project, for example in its promotion and communication, in perpetuity.
• If chosen, the submitter cannot permit use of, or assign any rights to, the artwork to any other person, body or organisation.

Digital file requirements:

• Artwork must be submitted as a high-resolution digital file (JPEG, PNG, or TIFF preferred).
• Minimum resolution: 300 DPI for printing purposes.
• File size should not exceed 10MB per artwork.
• If selected, artists must be able to provide the artwork in vector format (AI, EPS, or SVG) if required.

Selection Process & Recognition:

• The selection panel will consist of a group of First Nations women from Ember Connect and the research project partners
• The selected artist will be acknowledged and credited in all materials where the artwork is featured.
• A licensing agreement will be arranged to ensure appropriate usage rights while respecting the artist’s ownership.
• The selected artist will receive a monetary honorarium ($5,000) as recognition for their contribution.
• Non-selected artists may be considered for future projects and collaborations.

Important Dates:

• Submission deadline: the date will be announced soon…
• Announcement of the winner: the date will be announced soon…

For any inquiries, please contact info@emberconnect.com.au .

How to Submit:

• Complete the online submission form (the link will be provided soon…).
• Attach your digital artwork(s) following the file specifications.
• Include a short artist statement (200-300 words) detailing:
  • The meaning and inspiration behind the artwork.
  • How the piece represents Indigenous women in employment and education.
  • A brief biography, including cultural background and artistic experience.