Indigenous Program

 

 

Applications for our Indigenous Program are now completed through our standard market stall application process - please apply here when applications are open.

To find out more about the program criteria, please visit this page.

The Finders Keepers is dedicated to nurturing and growing the support for Indigenous makers and designers. The Indigenous Program sets out to encourage and support First Nations makers and designers, providing a platform with a dedicated audience to support their commercial endeavours. 

This program has been designed to:

• Support Indigenous makers & designers with equal opportunity, market reach and selling platforms.
• Honour makers and enhance our marketplace with more Indigenous crafts.
• Mentor Indigenous makers with support in new ways.

Program recipients will receive: 

• A sponsored 4m x 2m stall space at a design market in Sydney or Melbourne.
• [From SS25 markets onwards]: Up to $1000 in travel expenses covered (this may include accommodation, car hire, flights etc on an as-needs basis - we’ll work with you).
• A marketing package including a blog feature, EDM feature, social media posts and inclusion in a press release.
• Complimentary basic furniture hire.
• TFK team support for stall set up, decor, design, and logistics.
• Past recipients are also welcome to apply for future events and are offered 20% off their next market stall with us.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the program applicants must be First Nations individual makers, designers, artists, or First Nations-owned art centres, collectives or organisations that promote and sell the work of Indigenous artists and makers. The applicant must be a first-time stallholder of The Finders Keepers.

Application eligibility: 

• Applicants must meet our standard designer criteria or food & beverage criteria to be a stallholder at our markets. Our markets are curated and all applications will go through our standard stallholder curation process.
• Applications are open to First Nations makers, designers and artists, as well as collectives, organisations and art centres owned by First Nations peoples. This also includes food and drinks makers/ brands.
• Applicants must be first-time stallholders with The Finders Keepers.

If you are based in a regional/ remote/ rural location, you can also consider applying for our new Regional Program.

APPLICATIONS

We can’t wait to see your application!

Applications are submitted in the same way as all our design markets - please check out our Apply section for more info and to check when applications are open.

Please apply during our application open periods, approximately November - Jan/ Feb for the Autumn/ Winter markets and March - May/ June for our Spring/ Summer markets. 

If you have any questions about this program, please contact our team.

RECIPIENTS

Our 2025 Recipients:
Announced soon!

Our 2024 Recipients:
Our recipient for Sydney AW24 was Penny Towney, aka Towney Time
Our recipient for Melbourne AW24 was Ochre Dough
Our recipient for Melbourne SS24 was Thirsty Turtl
Our recipient for Sydney SS24 was She Made

Our 2023 Recipients:
Our recipient for Sydney SS23 was Soul Reign
Our recipient for Melbourne SS23 was Gardening on Country
Our many recipients for Melbourne AW23, as part of NAIDOC week and in collaboration with Aboriginal Melbourne, are all here!
Our recipient for Sydney AW23 was Bush to Bowl

Our 2022 Recipients:
Our recipient for Brisbane SS22 was Ikuntji Artists
Our recipient for Sydney AW22 was Deadly Denim
Our many recipients for Melbourne AW22, as part of NAIDOC week and in collaboration with Aboriginal Melbourne, are all here!
Our recipient for Brisbane AW22 was K-Rae Designs
Our recipient for Melbourne SS22 was Numbulwar Numburindi Arts

Our 2021 Recipient:
Our recipient for Brisbane was Wulkuraka Designs

*In 2020 and partially in 2021 our events did not operate due to COVID-19

Our 2019 Recipients:
Our recipient for Melbourne SS19 was Gammin Threads
Our recipient for Brisbane SS19 was Chaboo
Our recipient for Sydney SS19 was One of Twelve
Our recipient for Sydney AW19 was Sar.ra by Rachael Sarra
Our recipient for Brisbane AW19 was Life Apparel Co
Our recipient for Melbourne AW19 was Amber Days

Our 2018 Recipients:
Our recipient for Sydney AW18 was Injalak Arts. 
Our recipient for Brisbane AW18 was Yunmi.
Our recipient for Melbourne AW18 was Kakadu Plum Co.
Our recipient for Melbourne SS18 was Marnin Studio
Our recipient for Brisbane SS18 was Anindilyakwa Arts 
Our recipient for Sydney SS18 was North

To find out more about the criteria for our Indigenous Program, please visit this page.