About us

The Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (Godinymayin) is the flagship project for artistic and cultural development in the Katherine Region. Stage One, completed in June 2012, was the result of 10 years planning and community consultation driven by the Katherine Regional Cultural Centre Action Group and including key players in arts development, tourism, education and training, Indigenous land and economic development and government.

The building of Stage One created the first fully functioning community cultural space for the town and in its first five years has enabled the development and showcasing of performance projects, local exhibitions and increased access for local communities to national touring product. The multi-purpose space has hosted meetings, performances, celebrations and conferences for many local and Territory wide organisations.

Our beautiful Lambert Gallery hosts visual arts exhibitions showcasing the work of Northern Territory Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. We curate exhibitions in-house and host national touring exhibitions.

K Space is a designated gallery space aiming to promote and nurture the artistic and cultural identities of the Katherine Region and its people through ‘spotlight’ style exhibitions. We encourage all emerging Indigenous and non-Indigenous creatives to maximise this rare opportunity to showcase their work in a highly respected gallery setting. We are passionate about this initiative and are excited to support local artists in striving for excellence in their chosen field.

Our values

Inspiring – memorable experiences, freedom to be creative and challenged.

Reconciliation – walking together as one.

Inclusion – everyone, in all our diversity.

Participation – active and engaged.

Real – authentic and relevant.

Bold – be exposed and have the courage to explore new boundaries.

Partnership – positive relationships and connections.

Our name

Godinymayin (Godding-marn) is the name of a respected Aboriginal elder who once lived on the land on which the Centre is built. He had a particularly close attachment to this land in accordance with local Aboriginal culture. Godinymayin’s story was the rock wallaby which you can see in our logo and public art. Yijard (I-jard) is the word used for ‘big’ in one of the local Aboriginal languages. The Katherine region is known locally as the ‘Big Rivers’ region. Rivers such as the Katherine, the Roper, the Wilton, the Victoria and the Daly flow through the area, hence ‘Yijard Rivers’.

Our logo

Cedric Fordimail’s work, Godinymayin, was selected to be the iconic ‘rock wallaby’ sculpture at the entrance of the Centre. Cedric Fordimail was born in Barunga and is from the Mayili clan. The Mayili people have cultural connections with the Jawoyn, whose country extends north of Katherine into the Arnhem Land escarpment. Cedric lives in the Jodetluk community on the outskirts of Katherine and has been painting since he was a young child.

Our history

July 14, 2012

Official opening

The opening was a day of celebrations that saw close to 1000 visitors attend a spectacular array of cultural activities including traditional dancing from three Indigenous community groups – the Mularra dancers from Bulman, the Djilpin Dancers and the Young, Wagilag group from Ngukurr.

Children’s workshops , two regional community art events – the Paint the Sky kite project and the Godinymayin Lights project from Katherine Regional Arts, a curated exhibition to showcase regional artists – Big River Country, a fire dance performance from the Fire B Boys from Wugularr and a country music concert – Calling Me Home by Sara Storer, Leah Flanagan and Tracey Bunn.

July 14, 2012
Sept 22-24, 2013

Women of the World (WOW) Festival

Godinymayin was selected to be one of only two Australian venues to host the international WOW Festival, that celebrates the strength and achievements of women. WOW 2013 was held in conjunction with Southbank Centre, London.

WOW Katherine included a speakers program, a speed mentoring session, three exhibitions, a media program, workshops, a market place and performances. The Festival celebrated the diversity of women and men from different backgrounds, language groups and ages from the Katherine region, the NT, from interstate and overseas.

Sept 22-24, 2013
May 9, 2015

Big Top – Circus Kathmandu & Corrugated Iron Youth Circus

For the first time, Godinymayin joined forces with Katherine Town Council to present a free family event in our outside amphitheatre. Over 900 people enjoyed a quintessential Territory experience as they sat under the stars and watched a brilliant sunset in the distance and a spectacular circus performance.

May 9, 2015
May 6, 2016

Yidumduma Bill Harney: Bush Professor

Godinymayin presented a national tour from 2016 to 2018 of Yidumduma Bill Harney: Bush Professor.  The retrospective visual arts exhibition showcased the work of Yidumduma Bill Harney and was curated by Margie West AM.  It was first shown at GYRACC in 2016, before travelling to nine regional and remote venues across the country. Supported by funding from the Australian Government through its Visions for Australia program and by the Gordon Darling Foundation the exhibition was seen by over 26,000 people.

May 6, 2016

Governance

Our organisation, the Katherine Regional Cultural Precinct Ltd (KRCP) is a cultural enterprise established in 2011 to develop and professionally manage the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (Godinymayin).The KRCP is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Its Members are the Northern Land Council, the Northern Territory Government and the Katherine Town Council.

 

Godinymayin is controlled by a Board of Directors, appointed by the Members, and includes the following:

Six Member Representative Directors

Appointed by the Northern Land Council comprised as follows:

 

  • Two from the Dagoman clan group;
  • Two from the Jawoyn clan group; and
  • Two from the Wardaman clan group.
Two Member Representative Directors

Appointed by the Northern Territory Government.

One Member Representative Director

Appointed by the Katherine Town Council.

Three Directors

Selected from the general public as Community Representatives, and elected by the Member appointed Directors.

Our board

Toni Tapp Coutts

Community Representative

Robert Friel

Chairperson - Jawoyn Clan Representative

Brendan Pearce

Katherine Town Council Representative

Margaret Close

Northern Territory Government Representative

Siobhan Mackay

Community Representative

Danny Murphy

Community Representative

Vacant

Wardaman Clan Representative

Douglas Kelly

Dagoman Clan Representative

Bill Harney

Wardaman Clan Representative

Lisa Mumbin

Jawoyn Clan Representative

May Rosas

Dagoman Clan Representative

Vacant

Northern Territory Government Representative

Our staff

Eric Holowacz

Chief Executive Officer

Vacant

Administration Coordinator

Richard Starr

Technical Production Coordinator

Jessy Moss

Marketing Coordinator

Caitlin Backhouse

Gallery Coordinator

Brianna Lennard

Deputy Director & Programming

Kyla St Jaye

Retail Shop Coordinator

Roxanne Collins

Centre Assistant

Zarah Daly

Centre Assistant

Janet Schultz

Bookkeeper

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