Expressions of Interest opened Wednesday for the 2027 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, calling on Queensland First Nations artists, artisans, musicians, dancers and creative practitioners to help shape the 18th season and next chapter of one of Australia's leading arts and cultural events.
Returning to Gimuy/Cairns from the July 8-11 in 2027, CIAF is seeking Expressions of Interest across four key areas of its 2027 program, including the Art Fair Showcase, Artisans Showcase, Music and Dance Program and Masterclass Series.
The call follows a landmark 2026 CIAF, which brought together more than 450 artists, exhibitors, performers and presenters and delivered the largest Art Fair and Artisans Showcases in the event's history.
CIAF artistic director Teho Ropeyarn said the annual EOI process was about much more than programming an event, providing an important platform for Queensland First Nations artists to share culture, stories and contemporary creative practice with audiences from across Australia and internationally.
"CIAF is built on First Nations voices, stories and cultural expression, and each year we want to hear from artists and practitioners at different stages of their creative journey," Mr Ropeyarn said.
"From emerging and independent artists finding a platform alongside established practitioners, to musicians and dancers sharing language, movement and song, and artists passing on knowledge through our Masterclass Series, these opportunities are about visibility, cultural continuity and creating pathways for First Nations artists.
"CIAF is also a place for truth-telling and cultural sovereignty, a platform where artists can tell their own stories, honour enduring cultural knowledge and explore new and contemporary forms of expression."
The opening of 2027 EOIs coincides with the launch of CIAF's new website, which provides a refreshed digital home for artists, audiences and visitors and a central hub for EOI information and applications. It also marks the start of CIAF's next curatorial chapter, with the 2027 theme to be unveiled next month.
The theme will continue an evolving curatorial journey from Pay Attention! in 2025 through Reclamation & Regeneration in 2026, building on CIAF's commitment to First Nations storytelling, cultural knowledge and contemporary creative expression.
Further information, eligibility requirements and applications are available via CIAF's new website.
The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair is Australia's premier First Nations-led art fair and cultural celebration, held annually on Gimuy Walubara Yidinji Country in Gimuy/Cairns, Queensland.
In 2027, CIAF will once again take over the Tanks Arts Centre precinct in Edge Hill, where three repurposed World War II oil tanks sit amid the tropical surrounds of Cairns Botanic Gardens and Centenary Lakes.
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