Strengthening Culture Story

UMI Arts is the peak Indigenous arts and cultural organisation for Far North Queensland, an area that extends north to include the Torres Strait Islands, south to Cardwell, west to Camooweal and includes the Gulf and Mt Isa regions. 

UMI Arts is a not-for-profit company managed by an all Indigenous Board of Directors and is based in Cairns.  UMI Arts was established in 2005 and its mission is to operate an Indigenous organisation that assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to participate in the maintenance, preservation and protection of cultural identity.

At the broadest level, UMI Arts goal is to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practices, including visual arts and crafts, dance, ceremony, story telling and music.

UMI is a Creole word that means You and Me – for UMI this is significant as we believe that we need to work together to keep our culture strong.

Image credit: Kikz from Kikz 'n Mercy (left), Gertrude Ygosse installing her exhibition (middle left), Teneale Willis, Gulumba Dance Group (middle right), opening of Yowane Namaibai's exhibition 'Exploring New Horizons' (right)