First Peoples artists with connections to Victoria are being invited to take their work onto one of Melbourne's most visible public canvases, with expressions of interest now open for the 2027 First Peoples Melbourne Art Trams, presented by arts festival RISING in partnership with Transport Victoria.
Returning as part of RISING's 2027 program, the project will see selected artworks transformed into large-scale tram wraps travelling across Melbourne from May and June next year.
The 2027 program will be led by Taungurung woman and RISING curator Kate ten Buuren, with artists invited to respond to the theme of 'transformation'.
"Our Creation Stories share tales of beings as they shapeshift between human and more-than-human, forming landscapes and teaching us how to relate to one another, care for Country and safeguard our futures," ten Buuren said.
"Alongside our stories, our languages hold information about us, and in the process of language revival, can transform our understanding of the world around us.
"This year's cohort of Art Trams artists should reflect on the knowledge held within story and language, and the power these hold to transform us."
Each selected artist will receive a $12,000 fee and work closely with the curator and a designer to adapt their work for the unique dimensions and movement of a Melbourne tram.
Past editions of the First Peoples Melbourne Art Trams have brought together artists across generations and career stages, from Elders and leading contemporary practitioners to emerging artists building their public profiles.
Previous participants include Aunty Zeta Thomson, Jarra Karalinar Steel, Dr Paola Balla, Peter Waples-Crowe, Darcy McConnell (ENOKi), Amina Briggs, Kait James, Kelly Koumalatsos, Maree Clarke and more, while the 2026 cohort includes Natasha Carter, Mitch Mahoney, Jenna Mayilema Lee, Zena Zada Cumpston and Sonja Hodge, alongside Elder Aunty Marlene Gilson OAM, whose work was honoured as the 2026 Legacy Tram. Other past Legacy Trams have included works by Destiny Deacon, Lin Onus and Ellen José.
With applications open to emerging, mid-career and established artists alike, the program offers First Peoples creatives the chance to take their practice into one of Melbourne's most visible public spaces, and share it with audiences across the city.
Artists can submit either existing or new work, including digitally created pieces or digitised versions of physical works such as paintings, weaving, photography, printmaking or sculpture.
The call-out is open to First Peoples artists at all stages of their careers and across all visual art forms. Applicants must either be a Victorian Traditional Owner or a First Peoples artist for whom Victoria is their primary place of living and working.
Both individual artists and collectives are eligible, with applications encouraged from artists based in metropolitan Melbourne and across regional Victoria. Artists who have applied for the project in previous years and were not selected are encouraged to return with a new idea.
Ten Buuren will assess applications alongside RISING Senior Curator Kimberley Moulton, a Yorta Yorta woman, and RISING Artistic Director Hannah Fox. Final selections will also be endorsed by representatives from Transport Victoria, Yarra Trams and RISING through the Melbourne Art Tram Partnership Group.
Applications for the 2027 First Peoples Melbourne Art Trams are now open via the RISING website, and close at 11.59pm on Sunday 1 November 2026.
Artists considering an application can join an online information session at 6pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
