Sep 11, 2026 · 20 min · 10 segments
Send us Fan Mail Skye Cusack discusses how Blak and Bright supports First Nations storytellers year-round through publishing partnerships, digital…
Skye CusackGuest
Charles PakanaHost
What I'm also interested to yarn with you about is what is Black and Bright's involvement in advocating for appropriate remuneration for Black artists? Because you mentioned that it's not just writing, it's song, it's art, it's every form of creativity.
Since the beginning of Black and Bright, I know that fair remuneration for First Nations creatives is something that Jane Harrison was very passionate about.
And I know because I've seen people's contracts that the way that artists are paid for at the festival and for the digital commissions on the Black Stories Hub, it's very fair.
Often it's paid in alignment with the ASA, Australian Society of Authors, recommended rates of pay.
And that's generally how you know that there is healthy investment into creatives in Australia, especially when it's First Nations people.
But outside of that and just our own practices as an organization, making sure we're fairly paying creatives for their time, there's a lot of advocacy that happens in the community.
Black and Bright is really committed to making changes in the sector, the literary, the storytelling sector, is in 2025 it was announced that Black and Bright was partnering with Magabala Books to have a consortium called the First Stories Collective.
And the intention of the First Stories Collective is to become an industry representative for First Nations creatives and publishing professionals across the board.
And also at the end, the intention is to create a white paper called the fighting stick, which is sort of a written down recommendation of here's how to work with aboriginal and tourist islander people in the creative industries this is how to be culturally safe and this is how we've invested the money and there's also many other exciting things planned for the first stories collective but i feel i may get in trouble if i tell you about them so i may i might just stop talking
What I'm also interested to yarn with you about is what is Black and Bright's involvement in advocating for appropriate remuneration for Black artists? Because you mentioned that it's not just writing, it's song, it's art, it's every form of creativity.
Since the beginning of Black and Bright, I know that fair remuneration for First Nations creatives is something that Jane Harrison was very passionate about.
And I know because I've seen people's contracts that the way that artists are paid for at the festival and for the digital commissions on the Black Stories Hub, it's very fair.
Often it's paid in alignment with the ASA, Australian Society of Authors, recommended rates of pay.
And that's generally how you know that there is healthy investment into creatives in Australia, especially when it's First Nations people.
But outside of that and just our own practices as an organization, making sure we're fairly paying creatives for their time, there's a lot of advocacy that happens in the community.
Black and Bright is really committed to making changes in the sector, the literary, the storytelling sector, is in 2025 it was announced that Black and Bright was partnering with Magabala Books to have a consortium called the First Stories Collective.
And the intention of the First Stories Collective is to become an industry representative for First Nations creatives and publishing professionals across the board.
And also at the end, the intention is to create a white paper called the fighting stick, which is sort of a written down recommendation of here's how to work with aboriginal and tourist islander people in the creative industries this is how to be culturally safe and this is how we've invested the money and there's also many other exciting things planned for the first stories collective but i feel i may get in trouble if i tell you about them so i may i might just stop talking
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