Creative Australia, an arts investment and advisory body organized by the Australian Government, hosted the Asia Pacific Arts Award on Apr. 23. A total of 51 entries were received for the awards, covering five categories: Impact, Innovation, Inspire (Individuals/Collectives/Groups), Inspire (Organisations), and Connect, with the participation from Taiwan in three of these categories.

The awards were held for the first time by Creative Australia as an initiative of the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy Revive. They recognize and promote Australian artists, collectives, and organizations engaged in creating, presenting, or sharing work across Asia Pacific.

The Inspire (Organisations) Award went to the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art’s (QAGOMA) 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10). The Triennial included 69 projects by more than 150 artists and collaborators drawn together from over 30 countries, including “Between Earth and Sky: Indigenous Contemporary Art from Taiwan,” an exhibition that featured eight noted Taiwanese indigenous artists. 

The Connect Award was received by the OzAsia Festival. Under Artistic Director Annette Shun Wah’s leadership (2020-2023), OzAsia Festival amplified Asian and Asian Australian artists and experiences, centering these voices at the heart of festival programming. In 2023, the renowned Taiwanese dance troupe Bulareyoung Dance Company was invited to perform at the opening of the festival. 

The Australia-Taiwan First Nations Art Exchange was nominated for the Innovation Award. It is an ongoing project that brings together and builds enduring connections between indigenous artists in the region, led by Dr. Sophie McIntyre (Queensland University of Technology) in collaboration with Dr. Fang Chun-wei (National Museum of Prehistory Taiwan).

See the full list of winners on the website of Creative Australia.

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