Australia

Australia

The Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative

"Belonging to the cooperative is like medicine. It’s healing and it gave me identity"

Jeffrey Samuels – Founding member of the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative

The Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative

Location: Sydney, New South Wales

Year of Foundation: 1987

Number of Members: 60

Sector: Aboriginal artists cooperative

Key themes: Identity recovering, indigenous people's empowerment, socio-economic inclusion

  • 8 Decent work and economic growth
  • 10 Reduced Inequalities
  • 16 Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Coop Story

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Key Learning Points

  • The key role that cooperatives can play for indigenous peoples and artists as a means of healing and identity recovery.
  • Cooperatives provide opportunities not only for economic but also cultural and social empowerment at individual and collective level. 
  • Cooperative members, through collective action, can have an opportunity to challenge current perceptions about their identity and culture, build their own individual and collective identity, and foster resilience.
  • Cooperatives provide space for collaboration and learning across generations that foster the sense of belonging to a community.