CDP Leads to Employment

Michelle Woody Minnapinni desperately wanted to work, so she started with TITEB. Her goal was to learn about technology and administration. Through TITEB she did computer training, cooking, and learnt about banking. She was doing artwork at Jilamara (where her partner, Nicholas Mario, works as an artist) when she heard they were looking for a gallery assistant.

Now she has her dream job at Jilamara Arts and Crafts. Michelle is one of five part-time employees at Jilamara, looking after 30-40 artists and handling sales, cataloguing, digital archiving and looking after artefacts at the museum. She also meets customers, shows them around the gallery, and makes them feel welcome and comfortable.

Now and then the old ladies come to the art centre and want to do weaving. That’s when Jilamara staff organise to go out in the troopie to help them collect what the materials they need, such as ochre, Pandanus and dye. The men collect iron wood for carving.