About Make it Real
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is vibrant, diverse, and deeply connected to Country and culture. Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of artwork and creative products are sold across Australia, capturing the imagination of local and international visitors who are seeking something real, meaningful, and uniquely First Nations.
Make it Real is a proud Western Australian initiative that celebrates this richness.
The project works directly with Aboriginal art centres to explore exciting new ways of bringing authentic artwork and stories into everyday products — ensuring that culture is respected, artists are recognised, and communities benefit.
At its core, Make it Real is about possibility.
It supports artists and art centres to create and license designs that reflect their stories, while offering guidance on working with retailers and manufacturers. The project also helps customers and sellers recognise and choose authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products — so that every purchase supports real people, real culture, and real art.
To make the product development journey easier, Make it Real offers the Make it Real Product Development Toolkit right here on this website. This toolkit is designed to walk artists and art centres through each step — from exploring new product ideas to working confidently with partners who share a commitment to cultural integrity.
Make it Real is about more than just product development. It’s about sharing culture in ways that are respectful, meaningful, and accessible to everyone.
We are committed to:
- Supporting artists and art centres to test new ways of making products.
- Ensuring artists and art centres are treated and paid fairly.
- Encouraging consumers to ask the right questions when purchasing Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander style products.
Our partners
Make it Real is delivered by Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) in collaboration with Western Australian art centres: Nagula Jarndu Designs, Spinifex Hill Studio and Waringarri Aboriginal Arts.
Make it Real is supported by Western Australian Government through the Pilbara Development Commission, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, BHP, the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation, Australia Council for the Arts, Lotterywest, KPMG, and Copyright Agency.
- Nagula Jarndu Designs
- Spinifex Hill Studio
- Waringarri Aboriginal Arts
- Other WA art centres
Partner art centres
Read more about the art centres participating in Make it Real as pilot partners over the development stages of this project.
About AACHWA
The Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) is the peak body and resource agency for Aboriginal art centres in the state. AACHWA promotes, empowers and connects a vibrant and growing network of WA Aboriginal art centres, advocating on their behalf with a strong voice. As the peak body we work with and for art centres, supporting them to create art, maintain strong culture, employ best practice and ensure the wellbeing of artists and their communities.
AACHWA represents more than 20 Aboriginal art centre members who, in turn, represent over 5,000 artists across WA, from over 90 different language groups. We support these small-scale, yet high-impact arts organisations as they work to build the creative and economic potential of their communities.
AACHWA promotes, empowers and connects art centres by providing:
- Advocacy and business support
- Professional development and training
- Resource sharing and networking opportunities
- Product development and commercial market support; and
- Sales and exhibition platforms, primarily through the Revealed: New & Emerging WA Aboriginal Artists program, comprising an annual Aboriginal art market and exhibition in Boorloo (Perth).
