CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA.- The Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, today announced the re-appointment of Dr Richard Walley as Chair of the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board (ATSIAB) and as a member of the Council itself.

’Dr Walley has been heavily involved with Indigenous performing arts for many years. In 1978 he was one of the founders of the Middar Aboriginal Theatre and he has toured the world playing the didgeridoo and informing people about Australia’s Indigenous culture,’ Senator Kemp said.

Dr Walley has been involved as director, designer, writer, musician, dancer and/or actor with a range of stage and television productions. These include The Dreamers (1982), A Fortunate Life (1984), Bullies House (1985), Coordah (1985), Australian Mosiac (1988), Jackaroo (1990), Munjong (1990), Balaan Balaan Gwdtha (1992) and Close to the Bone (1993). He has toured Australia, Japan, Europe and the United States of America with a number of these productions.

Dr Walley has also recorded didgeridoo performances on CD, and was artistic director of Mooditj-one of the Australia on CD multimedia projects. In 1997, Dr Walley was appointed to the National Council for the Centenary of Federation and was first appointed Chair of ATSIAB in 1992. He continued in this role until 1996 and was re-appointed Chair in 2000. Dr Walley is currently company director of Aboriginal Productions and Promotions.

’As Chair of ATSIAB Dr Walley’s work developing and promoting Indigenous arts has been very valuable,’ Senator Kemp said.

’I am very pleased Dr Walley has agreed to continue his involvement with the Australia Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board. His continued involvement will provide enormous insight into the Indigenous performing arts sector in Australia.’

The Australia Council is the Australian Government’s principal arts funding and advisory body. It encourages the creativity and development of Australian artists and aims to increase access by all Australians to arts and cultural activities.

Dr Walley will present the Red Ochre award on 4 December at the Australia Council in Sydney. The $50,000 award is presented annually to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist who has made an outstanding contribution to the arts.