What We Learned from Our NAIDOC Exhibition “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, Legacy”
As our NAIDOC Week 2025 exhibition wrapped up, we were left with full hearts and clear conviction: storytelling matters, and when it’s done with care and purpose, it resonates far beyond the gallery walls.
Titled The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, Legacy, the exhibition brought together two distinct portrait series—The Shaede Project and The Pilbara Portraits—united by a shared focus on identity, justice, and cultural continuity.
The response has been overwhelming, in all the best ways.
They Travelled for It
Some visitors drove more than two hours to experience the exhibition. That simple fact reminded us: if you create meaningful work and make space for community-led stories, people will come. People want to be part of something that feels grounded, real, and hopeful.
Small Conversations Can Spark Big Change
We spoke with teachers, teens, elders, and allies. Many arrived knowing little about the communities or issues featured in the work. They left with new understanding, new empathy. We were reminded that it doesn’t take a lecture to shift hearts—just a conversation.
There’s Deep Hunger for Blak Cultural Narratives
People didn’t just want to see the images, they wanted to know the people behind them. They wanted more context, more access, more truth. This exhibition confirmed that there’s a growing appetite for stories that honour Country, culture, and lived experience.
People Care More Than We Thought
We saw tears, heard laughter, and felt a shared reverence in the room. What we created resonated. Many visitors stayed for hours. Some returned more than once. It showed us that people don’t just care about art, they care about meaning. They care about justice. They care about each other.
Collaboration is Everything
This exhibition was never just about the photographs. It was about relationships. About trust, respect, and shared purpose.
Special thanks to:
Pilbara Community Legal Service
Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation
Yaandina Community Services
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)
Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BINTAC)
Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation (YAC)
Eastern Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (EGAC)
The Martu people of Jigalong and Warralong
Kariyarra Nation
Ngarda-Ngarli people
Darug Custodians
Dunghutti Elders
And to Dylan “Shaede” Hoskins and the families who trusted us with their stories—thank you. This was a collective effort. The strength of this work came from those relationships. It reminded us that storytelling isn’t something we do to communities, it’s something we build with them.
Legacy Begins With Listening
Whether it was the legacy of Martu Elders in the Pilbara or the bold self-expression of Blak & Queer identity in Shaede, we were reminded that the future doesn’t just belong to the next generation—it’s shaped by what we choose to witness and uplift right now.
The Word Is Spreading
Our thanks to Coast Community News for spotlighting the exhibition. Their coverage helped amplify the voices and stories at the heart of this work. As they said: this exhibition is about confronting injustice and celebrating identity. That duality is our strength.
Storytelling Creates Ripples
We may never fully know the impact of this exhibition—and that’s okay. Change doesn’t always announce itself. It grows quietly, like a seed planted in good soil. What we do know is this: stories shared with care, respect, and truth have the power to move people. And movement is how change begins.
We’re proud of what this exhibition became. But we’re even more excited by what it revealed:
People are ready.
Ready to listen.
Ready to connect.
Ready to carry these stories forward.
To everyone who showed up, listened deeply, asked questions, or simply stood still in the presence of these stories—thank you.
