A seven-person delegation from Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center (IPCDC) will arrive in the Northern Territory next week, continuing a growing exchange between Indigenous artists, cultural leaders and organisations across Taiwan and Australia.

The visit follows a recent trip to Taiwan by a delegation of Northern Territory arts leaders, who travelled through Taitung, Hualien and Taipei to meet with Indigenous artists, arts organisations and cultural institutions.

Now, the exchange will continue on Northern Territory soil, with representatives from the IPCDC travelling to Darwin and the Tiwi Islands from 4–11 August.

The delegation will be led by IPCDC Director-General Giljegiljaw Pakedavai and will also include program manager Yuling Chou, translator Baru Elutu Pavavalijung and four dancers: Lo Kuan-Chien, Hsu Hung-Wei, Ciwas Takyo and Yen Kai-Hsin.

IPCDC is affiliated with Taiwan’s Council of Indigenous Peoples and works to promote greater understanding and appreciation of Taiwan’s Indigenous cultures through exhibitions, artist residencies, collecting, performance and cultural exchange.

In recent years, the organisation has placed an increasing focus on Austronesian cultural exchange and international cooperation. Since 2023, it has delivered the Australasian Triennial, building relationships between Taiwan, Austronesian nations and Indigenous arts institutions internationally.

The IPCDC Dance Group has created 34 dance works, and the inclusion of four dancers in the visiting delegation reflects a shared interest in developing future exchanges between music, dance and performing artists.

A significant week for Indigenous arts

The delegation’s Northern Territory itinerary brings together performance, visual arts, cultural exchange and relationship-building during one of the busiest weeks on Darwin’s arts calendar.

They will be hosted at a lunch reception at Government House by His Honour the Honourable David Connolly, Administrator of the Northern Territory, and Ms Susan Brosnan Oly. The delegation will tour the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, attend the opening of Darwin Festival and a performance of Gapu Ŋupan (Chasing the Rainbow) at Festival Park.

Their presence at Gapu Ŋupan will be particularly significant. The production brings together Yolŋu songlines from North East Arnhem Land with storytelling, music and movement from the Paiwan and Amis cultures of Taiwan. After years of artistic exchange across cultures and countries, the work’s return to the Northern Territory offers a powerful backdrop for the reciprocal visit.

Artback NT CEO Michelle Bell said the timing of the delegation’s visit brought the story of the production full circle:

“Gapu Ŋupan shows what can grow when artists are given the time and space to build relationships across cultures. Having the Taiwanese delegation here as the work returns to Yolŋu Country and the Northern Territory brings that story full circle.”

The week will also include the signing of a Memorandum of Collaboration between the two organisations, alongside presentations and meetings with Northern Territory arts organisations. The delegation will hear from MusicNT, Desart and the Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKA), and visit the Larrakia Cultural Centre.

Across the week, delegates will attend some of the Northern Territory’s major Indigenous arts events, including the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair opening, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards and the National Indigenous Music Awards.

The final part of the visit will take the delegation to the Tiwi Islands, where they will spend time with community, take part in locally hosted activities and continue conversations around culture, performance and future collaboration.

For IPCDC, the visit is an opportunity not only to deepen its relationship with Artback NT, but also to explore connections with Aboriginal art centres, museums and cultural institutions across the Northern Territory.

Artback NT CEO Michelle Bell hopes the exchange will lay the groundwork for future joint exhibitions, festival exchanges, artist residencies and transnational cultural projects:

“By bringing arts leaders together face to face, the delegation opens the door to future exchanges, residencies and creative collaborations.”