Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute


The Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, usually referred to as Tandanya, is an art museum located on Grenfell Street in Adelaide, South Australia. It specialises in promoting Indigenous Australian art, including visual art, music and storytelling.

Naming

The institute derives its name from Tarndanya, the Kaurna Aboriginal people's name for the Adelaide city centre and parklands area, meaning "place of the red kangaroo".

History

Established in 1989, it is the oldest Aboriginal-owned and -run cultural centre in Australia.

Governance and activities

Its core activities, as listed in the 2015-6 Annual Report, are: visual arts ; performing arts ; community arts ; cultural performances and information; school education activities; cultural and artistic tours; Indigenous infused café; Gallery Shop retailing Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Artworks. The centre is governed by a 10-member Board of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent and residing in South Australia. A Chief executive officer is responsible for its day-to-day operations.
The centre hosts the annual Art Fair, part of the Tarnanthi Festival of Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art each year, and runs programs and performances as part of NAIDOC Week.
Funding continues through the Australia Council for the Arts, and discussions have been under way about a new cultural exhibition centre as part of the redevelopment of the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, Lot Fourteen, on North Terrace.