Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander photographers are invited to apply for the $20,000 First Nations Right of Reply Photography Commission, offering an opportunity to critically engage with the Powerhouse Collection.

The commission seeks to explore, challenge, and reframe narratives surrounding applied arts and sciences through First Nations perspectives.

Developed in collaboration with the Powerhouse's First Nations and photography teams, the project aims to highlight the intersection of culture, history, and contemporary photography while engaging with one of Australia's most significant collections.

Wiradjuri man and Head of Collections, First Nations, Nathan mudyi Sentance, described the commission as a way to address historical exclusion.

"Powerhouse is the custodian of the world's most extensive and sought-after photography collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, yet it holds very few photographs created by or for these communities," he said.

"Now is the time for Powerhouse to provide the space for First Nations photographers to reshape how their communities' stories are told by applying a critical lens to the collection."

"We've (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) been largely historically excluded from the narratives told by memory institutions like museums and haven't really had a say in how those narratives are shaped."

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to spend two weeks at Powerhouse Castle Hill, working directly with the museum's collection under the guidance of the Collections team.

"This commission is not solely focused on the photography collection, photographers can respond to anything in the collection, buses, mars rovers, telephones, etc that sparks their creativity, their storytelling, their passion for truth telling," Mr Sentance said.

"The First Nations team will always help with the research and will be continuously available to yarn as well as put the photographer in touch with the expertise at the Powerhouse in conservation, curatorial, research, and registration to help build their idea."

Applications opened on Friday, 6 December 2024, and will close at 5 pm AEDT on Friday, 24 January 2025.

To apply, photographers must submit an expression of interest that includes: A curriculum vitae (CV), 5–6 examples of photographic work and a statement of interest (up to 500 words) addressing why they engage in lens-based storytelling and why they want to work with the Powerhouse Collection.

The commission offers First Nations photographers a platform to tell their own stories and critically examine existing narratives within the Powerhouse's extensive collection.

Applications can be made through the Powerhouse website or by contacting the museum directly.