REMOTE ABORIGINAL
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Expressions of Interest now open
The Nannup Music Festival is excited to share the first single from our Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program and announce that Expressions of Interest are now open for year two of the program, supported by the West Australian Government’s Contemporary Music Fund. Expressions of Interest for one remote community band to participate in the second year of this program will open Friday October 17th and close on Friday November 21st, 2025.
- A band photo and short artist bio.
- A link to a live performance (30+ seconds) This can be a phone recording, socials link or youtube video.
- A link to your original music. This can be a phone recording, spotify link, socials/webiste link or youtube video.
- Ages and genders of all group members.
- Information about your experience performing in your community.
- A short statement about your goals and what you hope to learn.
- Must have 4–5 original songs (at least one featuring First Nations language).
- Band or musician must be from remote or very remote WA communities.
- Band or musician who has performed in their community and ready to perform outside of community.
- Maximum 6 band members.
- Open to mentoring (with all cultural sensitivities guided by the steering committee and mentors).
- A desire to share their music and develop their band profile, songs and opportunities and are prepared to share their learnings and experience with others.
Kiwirrkurra Band who were selected from eleven worthy acts in early 2025, travelled to WA’ s South-West region in February this year to record new songs with award winning producer James Newhouse at Lamb Chop Studios. The first of these tracks ‘Bush Bus Song’ is now available on all platforms (you can also listen below).
The recordings and live performances were all under the close mentoring guidance of festival favourites, The Family Shoveller Band hailing from Bidyadanga Community in the west Kimberley. After their days in the studio, Kiwirrkurra Band performed three incredible sets to thousands of welcoming Nannup Music Festival attendees at the 2025 event. Kiwirrkurra Band, a multi-generational community band formed in the early 2010s and have performed with various members across WA’s north-west and at the 2014 Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs. The band sing songs of love for their ngurra (home country) in Pintupi language and create an infectious blend of desert reggae and rock to get festival crowds up and dancing.
The second-year RAADP band will be mentored through the professional recording and festival performance experience by a group of up to six WA First Nations artists and musicians. Each mentor will be curated to match the different self-identified needs of the selected act, with assistance and advice from our First Nations RAADP Steering Committee.
Our Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program is supported by the West Australian Government’s Contemporary Music Fund through the (Dept) Creative Industries Sport and Tourism (CITS), and is building on our continued support for remote community Aboriginal bands, musicians and culture in Western Australia. We give thanks to the CITS for supporting this initiative.
Nannup Music Festival is created on Noongar Boodjar lands where we pay respect to the Bibbulmun and Wardandi people.
For more information, to apply or nominate an act for the Remote Aboriginal Artist Development program please send through the requested information to Festival Director, Phaedra Watts.
The Nannup Music Festival announced a new pilot initiative in 2025, building on our continued support for remote community Aboriginal bands, musicians and culture in Western Australia.
Our Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program, supported by the West Australian Government’s Contemporary Music Fund, will offer a professional recording, product release and multi-year performance opportunity to remote Aboriginal community acts over two years.
One remote community band/artist per year (2025 & 2026) will be offered an all-expenses paid opportunity to record their songs over four days with award winning producer James Newhouse in the South-West region. Following their studio time, the artists will perform to thousands of fans at the Nannup Music Festival – alongside over 100 local, national and international acts.
In the year after the song recordings and NMF performances, the band/artists will work with student publicists to release their recorded songs to the public and thousands of NMF patrons. The band will then return to the festival to celebrate their release with new audiences, whilst mentoring the next band through the profile developing opportunity.
“I cannot wait to see what incredibly talented, remote Aboriginal music acts will be unearthed and supported by Nannup Music Festival’s Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program” – Minister David Templeman
Nannup Music Festival is on Nyoongar Boodja lands where we pay respect to the Bibbulmun and Wadandi People.
2025
The Nannup Music Festival was excited to welcome the recipients of our Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program.
Kiwirrkurra Band joined us as our 2025 Mentee band, hailing from the community of the same name (Kiwirrkurra) located more than 2600 kilometres from Nannup, in the far east of Western Australia’s Pilbara region. They formed in the early 2010s and have performed across WA’s north-west and at the 2014 Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs. The band sing songs of love for their ngurra (home country) in Pintupi language and create an infectious blend of desert reggae and rock to get festival crowds up and dancing.
Kiwirrkurra Band who were selected from eleven worthy acts, traveled to the WA’ s South-West region to record new songs with award winning producer James Newhouse at Lamb Chop Studios over four days, before travelling to Nannup to perform alongside over 100 international, national and West Australian artists.
The band was mentored through this ten-day experience by Bidyadanga community and Nannup Music Festival favourites Family Shoveller Band, who have previously recorded with James Newhouse and had recently returned from performing in Europe and at the famous Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs. Family Shoveller Band are proud Karajarri family band from Bidyadanga community in WA’s Kimberley region. They’re prolific songwriters having released three albums and multiple singles. The band have shared their and saltwater good times in song across the nation and in 2024 the band toured Europe for the first time.
Throughout 2025, the Kiwirrkurra Band’s freshly recorded songs will be released to Nannup Music Festival ticket holders, followers and the wider music industry sector. The band will then return to perform in Nannup at the 2026 festival and mentor the second recipient of the Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program.
The Nannup Music Festival Remote Aboriginal Artist Development Program is supported by the West Australian Government’s Contemporary Music Fund
