Umbrella is a leading independent platform for contemporary and experimental arts practice operating on Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country (Townsville, North Queensland).
We have a four-decade legacy of bringing art and audiences together. We amplify critical and creative voices, support communities, incubate creativity and collaboration, and advocate for new models and investment in the arts.
We believe in the power of commune, bringing together diverse voices and perspectives of our region and beyond. In dialogue, through creative arts practices, we transgress traditional hierarchies of centre and periphery, which are place-based. We nourish curiosity, exploration, and more profound experiences with the region and all its peoples. We acknowledge the beauty of the in-between spaces. We invite partnership and collaboration to create encounters and meaning in a complex world.
Umbrella runs an annual program of onsite and touring exhibitions, public programs, arts residencies, studio access, professional development programs, special events and a biannual festival, Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ). Umbrella is integral to our region’s thriving culture and creative economy.
Vision
To be an inclusive platform for independent, experimental contemporary arts practice in a globalised dialogue.
Mission
To express and amplify our distinctive and authentic North Queensland voices.