What are the opening hours?

Wednesday 1pm - 4pm Thursday 1pm - 4pm Friday 1pm - 4pm

The Torch

Creating new pathways through art and culture for First Nations people who have been incarcerated.

First Nations Australians make up 3% of the Australian population yet represent 32% of the national adult prison population. Indigenous men are 17 times more likely to go to prison than non-Indigenous men and First Nations women are 25 times more likely to go to prison than non-Indigenous women. Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, incarceration rates for Indigenou

s Australians have more than doubled and deaths in custody have continued to increase. The Torch’s Statewide Indigenous Arts In Prisons and Community Program is set within the context of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement and its focus is on the role of culture and cultural identity in the rehabilitative process of First Nations people impacted by incarceration. The Torch employs Indigenous Arts Officers to deliver the program to Indigenous men and women in Victorian prisons and to support participants who are transitioning back into the community. Since 2011, the Statewide Indigenous Arts In Prisons and Community Program has provided art, cultural and arts industry support to First Nations artists. The Torch assists participants to reconnect with culture and earn income from art sales (with 100% of the artwork price going directly to the artist), licensing, special projects and exhibitions including our major annual exhibitions, Confined and Future Dreaming. Each year, The Torch works with artists from approximately 80 cultural language groups within Victorian prisons and throughout the community.

28/08/2026

What are you up to this Sunday night? 🎨🍹

If you’re free, come hang out at the Wombat Art Market!

Local creatives have donated prints, paintings, photography, and textiles, alongside live music and great drinks all evening.

🗓 When: Sunday 30 August, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

📍 Where: Flippy’s Bar, 646 Sydney Road, Brunswick

🎟 Tickets: Link in comments below

All funds raised go straight to The Torch, supporting First Peoples artists in Victoria in practicing culture and finding new pathways through art.

Whether you're looking to pick up a unique piece for your wall or catch up over a drink and live music, come through. Grab a ticket, bring a friend, and we’ll see you there! 🌿

18/08/2026

We are proud to support Ngarrindjeri artist and First Peoples Arts Mentor, Flick Chafer-Smith!

Join Flick for an exclusive floor talk celebrating Journey Lines, her first solo exhibition presented in partnership with Project 35 at Lander & Rogers.

The evening opens with a yidaki performance by Kuku Yalanji man Eli Norza, followed by a dialogue featuring Flick, Susannah Day (CEO of The Torch), and Joanna Renkin (Partner at Lander & Rogers), moderated by Sobur Dhieu.

Every piece in the exhibition is available for purchase. As always, 100% of the purchase price goes directly to Flick to support her artistic journey and financial self-determination.

Come along and celebrate this special milestone with us!

To RSVP, check out the link in the comments below!

13/08/2026

"One of the best events I’ve been to... powerful storytelling and eye-opening solution discussions."

Our NAIDOC Week partnership with AustralianSuper was our most far-reaching yet, bringing First Peoples art, culture, and stories to local and global audiences.

✨ In Person: A 12-artwork gallery at AustralianSuper HQ in Naarm/Melbourne.
✨ Global Feature: 20 artworks displayed across Australia, Beijing, London, and New York.
✨ Live Storytelling: CEO Kent Morris spoke on economic self-determination, while artist Eli shared his journey alongside moving Yidaki performances—leaving attendees feeling "the vibrations through the screen."

Thank you to AustralianSuper for holding space for truth-telling and cultural agency, and to everyone who joined us.

🔗 Learn how The Torch supports First Peoples artists across Victoria: https://www.thetorch.org.au

07/08/2026

7 days. 108 opportunities. 100% impact. 🔥

NAIDOC Week 2026 proved what happens when community, culture, and truth-telling come together.

👉🏿 108 paid opportunities for First Peoples artists
👉🏿 90+ artworks shared in iconic spaces
👉🏿 13 cultural activations across Victoria
👉🏿 $34,378 paid directly to artists

Behind these numbers are powerful stories of cultural connection and economic self-determination. Every activation gave First Peoples artists space to share their culture and practice on their own terms.

💡 Did you know? 100% of artwork sales go directly to the artists.

Support doesn't end when NAIDOC Week wraps up. Want to build ongoing, respectful partnerships with First Peoples creators year-round?

✨ Explore artwork licensing, keynotes, or workshops for your organisation at the link below or reach out at [email protected].

29/07/2026

What happens when art meets emotion?

Join us for an engaging panel discussion exploring the relationship between art, emotion, and how creative practices can help young people to navigate complex emotional states.

The conversation will be facilitated by Lauren Simmonds (ACCA Artist Educator) and will bring together diverse perspectives on the role of art in fostering emotional awareness, resilience and connection.

This discussion will be followed by a Drawing Club session with a focus on the therapeutic dimension of drawing.

Featuring panellists:
Trisnasari Fraser–Community Psychologist
Flick Chafer-Smith– The Torch, First Peoples Arts Mentor
Mary Utter–Secondary Teacher and Art Therapist

Thursday 13 August, 6–8:30pm
📍ACCA
Tickets: https://vist.ly/5ctvk

General Public: $10 + GST

Discounted tickets for teachers
Student Teacher/Concession: $5 + GST
Teacher: $8 + GST

Free for regional teachers.

27/07/2026

Don’t miss your chance to experience 'We Sit in Circle'!

Featuring 54 works by First Peoples women, each piece tells the stories of mothers, aunties, grandmothers, daughters and sisters. From stunning paintings to intricate weavings, these works are on display at the Queen Victoria Women's Centre until 30 July.

⏰ Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm
📍 QVWC, Birnbeal Rainbow Exhibition Space, Ground Floor, 210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne

Photographs: Tiffany Garvie

26/07/2026

Have you picked up the latest edition of The Big Issue? Grab a copy and learn more about the 10 year anniversary of the Aboriginal Art Policy in an interview with Program Founder & Creative Director, Kent Morris and Declan Fry.

The article also shares about our current exhibition, 'We Sit in Circle' with insights from curator and First Peoples Arts Mentor, Flick Chafer-Smith.

Declan writes, "One of the recurring motifs of ‘We Sit in Circle’ is the circle itself, a symbol shared across language groups. It speaks to the ideas about meeting and resting, of communication and sharing. The geometries and tessellations of Chafer-Smith’s practice are in conversation with those of other artists, telling stories of mothers, aunties, grandmothers, daughters and sisters. Weaving together connections and encounters, they speak of the places we journey from and head towards: the worlds we make possible for one another, each and every day."

23/07/2026

'Echoes of Earth' returns to Gallery Unbound for its second year. The exhibition brings together First Nations artists in a celebration of Country, Culture and Connection – including 10 artists from The Torch!

Visit the exhibition until 2 August and enjoy paintings, photography, sculptures, textiles and mixed media.

Find out more: https://galleryunbound.com.au/show/echoes-of-earth/

Artwork credit: Miles (Eora/Gadigal peoples), 'In The Distance #2' 2026, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 cm.

22/07/2026

Watch our artist interviews at ‘We Sit in Circle’!

Presented in the side gallery, each video interview features women artists from The Torch program. We invite you to listen to the journey these women have been on and what they hope for the future.

Showing until 30 July at the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre. All artworks are available to purchase and 100% of the artwork price goes directly to the artist.

Photograph: Tiffany Garvie

21/07/2026

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to The Torch this past financial year. Every gift, no matter the size, goes a long way towards supporting the economic self-determination of First Peoples, enabling us to deliver our transformative program across Victoria.

Your support allows The Torch to deepen and grow our connection with the First Peoples artists we serve, supporting these artists to reclaim and maintain cultural connection through art, and find new pathways for themselves beyond the criminal legal system.

Each and every donation also reminds us that we have a community around us, championing our cause and walking with us in solidarity. Thank you.

Address

146 Elgin Street
Carlton, VIC
3053

Opening Hours

Wednesday	1pm - 4pm
Thursday	1pm - 4pm
Friday	1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+61390421236

Website

https://shoutforgood.com/charities/the-torch, https://thetorch.org.au/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/thetorch/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Torch posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Carlton?