CityLife ARTS | CIAF Comes Back To Its Roots
One of the region’s biggest First Nation’s festivals, the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), is set to return to its roots for 2025, when it takes place at the Tanks Arts Centre later this year.
From 10 to 13 July, CIAF will transform Edge Hill into a vibrant cultural hub, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, culture, and heritage across three dynamic days of events.
The festival will feature a diverse program of both free and ticketed events, showcasing more than 600 visual artists and 150 performers. The 2025 program includes visual and performing arts, masterclasses, cultural demonstrations, talks, awards, fashion, food, and more. Attendees can experience the Opening Night,
Art Fair showcase, artist talks, guided tours, art awards, masterclasses, cultural demonstrations, and the Closing Ceremony.
CIAF CEO Dennis Stokes said returning to Tanks Arts Centre is a watershed moment in the event’s evolution and is a coming of age.
“With our return to the Tanks Arts Centre, we are coming full circle – blending history and innovation. CIAF 2025 will be an unforgettable experience that allows people to fully immerse themselves in First Nations’ arts, stories, and traditions. This invites locals and visitors alike to celebrate with us.”
CIAF Chair Bianca Beetson echoed this sentiment, emphasising the significance of this move.
“CIAF has always been a platform for celebrating the depth and diversity of Queensland’s First Nations’ arts and cultures. As we look to the future, we honour the past and return to the Tanks where CIAF began.
“This move represents an exciting shift in direction for the organisation as we focus on providing a platform to sell, celebrate, and champion our First Nations artists from Queensland.
“The 2025 program will be dynamic, featuring bold new works, powerful storytelling, and deeper community engagement.
“Please join us in showcasing our Indigenous artists’ strength, resilience, and innovation at Cairns’ significant arts and cultural destination event,” said Ms Beetson.
This year’s theme will be ‘Pay Attention!’, inspired by Tony Albert’s 2011 print work of the same name. In the wake of the 2023 Voice Referendum, the theme serves as a call to remain vigilant about the challenges First Nations people continue to face.
This thought-provoking theme aims to bridge contemporary and traditional perspectives, sparking artistic responses that will capture the interest of collectors and curators across Australia and beyond.
Artists will use their creative voices to document, challenge, and inspire, ensuring that today’s messages shape tomorrow’s narratives.
PHOTO: Gillyba wearing design by Lynelle Flindersat at Tanks,
where CIAF will return to in 2025. Photo by Alicia Jade (Studio Sol).
