PRESS RELEASE
Following workshops in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) is bringing its landmark On Country Pathways Program (OCPP) to Gadigal land (Sydney).
OCPP Gadigal Week (12-16 January 2026) is the culmination of 18 months' work during which AFTRS has delivered bespoke screen and audio training to First Nations creatives in remote and regional communities.
The week brings together 30 participants aged from 18 to their 60s. Seventeen are women, and they represent all states and territories except Tasmania and the ACT. Most of those selected have participated in previous OCPP workshops, along with five others currently working in industry, from CAAMA Radio/NT, Umeewarra Radio/SA, 3KND Kool 'N' Deadly/Vic, and Griffith Film School/Qld.
The OCPP was the inspiration of AFTRS Chair Rachel Perkins, as a way to create new pathways into the screen and audio industries. It was made possible thanks to the support of a Commonwealth Government grant as part of the National Cultural Policy.
Collaborating with communities, First Nations media organisations and industry partners, AFTRS first ran an OCPP pilot program at the PAKAM Festival in Warmun, WA; with further workshops following at Gimuy/Cairns in partnership with Arts Queensland, with participants from Townsville to the Torres Strait Islands; at FRAIM (the Festival of Remote Australian Indigenous Moving-Image) in Bidyadanga community, two hours South-West of Broome, WA, in partnershipwith ICTV and PAKAM; and, most recently, at Jigamy, near Eden, on the far south coast of New South Wales, in partnership with Studio Jaanda.
Across Gadigal Week, to be held at AFTRS’ world class facilities, the 30 participants will further their training and consider, at a deeper level, a career in the screen and audio industries. It will combine cultural protocols, masterclasses with leading First Nations creatives, and intensive workshops across podcasting, screenwriting and filmmaking. The week will conclude with a showcase of works created across the workshops. The OCPP programs are co-designed with First Nations communities.
AFTRS Chair, writer, director and producer Rachel Perkins, is a woman of the Arrernte and Kalkaddon nations and an alum of the School. She said it was deeply affirming to see how First Nations communities across Australia had embraced this program – from identifying skills they needed, to contributing to workshop design, and supporting local participants in culturally safe and empowering learning environments.
“AFTRS has successfully brought its world-class screen and audio training to about 80 First Nations people of all ages, genders and backgrounds over the past 18 months,” Rachel said. “The participants have told us how much they have valued this unique opportunity, which has strengthened their creative confidence and helped build industry pathways through hands-on training, mentorship and community connections – all of which ultimately enriches Australia’s storytelling landscape.
“As the final event in this transformative program, Gadigal Week will be a beautiful opportunity to bring First Nations creatives together to enhance their skills even further, to share their experiences with each other and to take what they’ve learned back to their communities to teach and inspire others.”