Solid Lines

Driven by the lack of supportive pathways for emerging First Nations artists to work within commercial art and design industries, we worked together with many First Nations voices to develop a process around making change, building respectful relationships, increasing cultural awareness and raise the status and visibility of First Nations creatives. Part of the change process was finding a platform that would showcase First Nations creatives and represent them fairly. Our challenge was to co-create a pathway to improve access, participation and representation for First Nations creatives on their own terms, and in culturally safe and supported ways.

Developed directly alongside First Nations creatives, multiple co-design workshops, mutual learning, and a ‘two-way’ exchange of industry and Indigenous knowledge highlighted where, and what action needed to be taken. Solid Lines is now spearheading a process that is scarce in Australia, a First Nations-led illustration agency. Through supportive and fair representation and acknowledgement and protection of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), we aim to generate beneficial partnerships and culturally safe creative opportunities within industries which have often been ignorant of First Nations ways of working. We welcome you to learn and collaborate with us in respectful and meaningful ways.

We are proud storytellers, grounded by place. The impact of Solid Lines lies not only in being the first to represent and promote First Nations commercial illustrators, but in changing the face of Australia’s design industry. Solid Lines creates access to fair and respectful commercial representation, and has supported artists in significant commissions and sustainable long-term creative careers. Our impact is also in addressing Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property (ICIP) to develop a new professional practice precedent. Our ICIP policy designed for the commercial art industry is contributing to new policy development and sets a new standard for Australia's creative industries.

Reciprocal obligations to invest, nurture, and give back to community are at the heart of our agency. Our profit structure involves a share of commissions being utilised for capacity building and caring for community. Supporting On-country education and training is seen as the way to increase First Nations representation within the industry and create long-term employment pathways. Solid Lines will become a First Nations owned business through an innovative staged pathway to ensure the right level of support and a transparent approach to Indigenous ownership. The approach is encapsulated within a Memorandum of Understanding, which documents how Solid Lines will begin as an incubator with The Jacky Winter group, overseen by First Nations project manager, to a First Nations owned, managed, and controlled business. Solid Lines also developed an Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property (ICIP) policy, specifically around digital illustration, marking a major milestone for protecting cultural identity and ownership within design and digital spaces. Under this ICIP policy, artists have the right to protect traditional knowledge and sacred cultural material when entering into collaboration or partnerships with commercial clients, and the right to ensure that traditional laws and customary obligations are respected.