HELP US BUILD A LAUNDROMAT
AU$5,512
of $400,000 targetmths ago
Successful on 8th Jul 2024 at 1:00PM.
A-Muse-um of Laundry Pow(d)er at The Blak Laundry, The Woodford Folk Festival 2023/24. Photo by Lisa Skerrett.
Help us Build a Laundromat
Help us build a permanent home for The Blak Laundry, so we can continue to fund and resource the work that we do within the community. Since 2023, we have been touring as a pop-up and semi-permenant laundromat, living art work and performance space for First Nations artists and issues. We have held space for the stories of numerous First Nations emerging and established artists, and had thousands of people from all parts of the community attend our events—and do both their literal and metaphoric 'dirty laundry'.
We think that the service we provide is really needed, and would like to keep our work going by having a permanent laundromat that we can utilise to fund our touring work in community.
About Us
The Blak Laundry conceptual work was conceived and developed by Dominique Chen (Gamilaroi) and Libby Harward (Quandamooka), and was launched as part of the Horizon Festival in 2023, at Munimba-Ja Arts Centre on Jinibara Country, Maleny, QLD. We started with three commercial washing machines and three dryers, which we purchased second hand. Since then, we have held the Laundry to overwhelmingly postive reviews at the Woodford Folk Festival in 2023/2024, and have 'taken over' Richard Bell's internationally reknown work Embassy, as part of ProppaNOW's OCCURENT AFFAIR exhibition at the University of the Sunshine Coast Art Gallery.
You can read more about The Blak Laundry in a recent ABC article by arts journalist Lisa Skerrett, here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-06/the-blak-laundry-is-decolonising-aboriginal-contemporary-art/103795234?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
Along with doing a tonne of washing, we have provided a space and platform for First Nations artists to be visible, speak, show work, and 'agitate' the status quo. Artists we have supported—and who have supported us, include Gordon Hookey, Richard Bell, r e a, Judy Watson, Dylan Bolger, Boneta-Marie Mabo, Jacob Birch, Lydon Davis, Fred Leone, Deline Briscoe, Keiron Anderson, Nadine McDonald-Dowd, Lucy Davis, Bronywn Bancroft, Chelsea Watego, Alethea Beetson and Loki Liddle (Blak Social), Kyra Mancktelow, Otis Carmichael and Carol McGregor.
Our activations are fun, engaging and thought-provoking, and are a gentle but critical way to bring the broader community into our issues—and find commonality and connection in a disconnecting modern world. Our work helps process the 'dirty laundry' and shift any stubborn stains residing in our collective social fabric. In our Laundromat, everything comes out in the wash! The Blak Laundry is responding to, and reclaiming agency within arts and business markets that continue to disenfranchise, disinfect and compromise our cultural ethics and ways of working. It’s Blakfella capitalism at its deadliest—where everyone benefits, and everyone is included.
Money raised through the laundry operation is reinvested, towards future iterations, conversations and collaborations—and sharing the load.
Image: Front window of The Blak Laundry at The Woodford Folk Festival in 2023/24.
Images from The Blak Laundry at Munimba-ja as part of the Horizon Festival 2023.
Agitation session with Deline Briscoe at The Woodford Folk Festical 2023/24.
'Agitation' sessions at The Blak Laundry.
Agitation in progress at The Black Laundry, Woodford Folk Festival 2023/24.
The Time Line
The Budget
Budget Overview
The money raised from this campaign will be spent on the following:
16 x Speed Queen (Blak Queen) commercial washing machines
16 x Speed Queen (Blak Queen) commerical dryers
Tangerpay electronic payment system
Plinths and mounts
= $200,000
Laundry fit out and signage, including council approvals, electrical, plumbing & gas, installation, security system, carpentry, seating & lighting
= $150,000
Marketing, promotion and operations.
= $50,000
We are working on bringing these costs down through sponsorship and in other kind work, and any leftover funds surplus to needs will go directly towards supporting First Nations artists and community in the Laundry.
No Reward
No need for anything in return, I'm just here to share the load.
13 chosen
Fundraiser Edition Blak Laundry Sticker
Put em on your car, laptop, guitar case or washing machine, these specially designed Blak Laundry stickers will make anything look the goods. These are not for sale anywhere else, and are only for those that have helped share the load.
28 chosen / 4972 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Limited Edition Blak Laundry Poster
Make your boring white walls look flash with this Blak Laundry poster, signed by your favourite laundros, and with lots of love from The Blak Laundry. The design is to be confirmed, so get ready for a fun surprise, made especially for this fundraising campaign. Limited edition of 1000.
5 chosen / 995 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Blak Laundry Sewing Kit
Get yourself a fundraiser edition Blak Laundry sewing kit in return for your deadly donation. Great for stitching hems and reparing holes in the social fabric. Each sewing kit has been hand stencilled in a variety of colours (randomly chosen). The Blak Laundry sewing kit comes with everything you need, and is the perfect addition to any reparative work.
2 chosen / 198 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Blak Laundry Washing Surprise
In return for sharing the load, we'll send you something special that we found in the wash. This lucky dip will be a genuine item found in The Blak Laundry washing, and will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
1 chosen / 19 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Blak Laundry Bunji Pack
For being such a deadly Blak Laundry Bunji (friend), you will recieve a fundraiser edition T-Shirt (Share the Load on the front and The Blak Laundry logo on the back. Various colours) and a Blak Laundry fundraiser edition sticker. This T is only for people that share the load!
3 chosen / 497 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Limited Fundraiser Edition Soap Box and a Token Blak!
Naw you're just too good! In return for being such a solid bunji, you'll receive a limited edition Blak Laundry soap box designed especially for the fundraiser (surprise design to be revealed), plus a Token Blak from the Why Won't You Change Machine.
0 chosen / 100 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Your name in the Laundry Services book
Your name in the The Blak Laundry services book, that will be kept in our permenant laundromat, once it's built. This is the 'go to' manual for all your laundry needs. Only 50 spaces available.
0 chosen / 50 available
Est. delivery is Dec 25
Intimate Wash with our Favourite Blak Artists
Send us your clothes and we'll wash them with a famous Blak artist of your choice. We'll return them clean, folded, and infused with cultural capital. Comes with a Blak Laundry Certificate of Authenticity and a 'Proof of Blakwash' video. NB. No more than 5kg of clothes within an Australia Post Large satchel bag. Clothes must be sent before December 2024.
0 chosen / 10 available
Est. delivery is Dec 24
Artist talk with The Blak Laundry Laundros
Pull up a milk crate and enjoy a two hour artist talk with Libby Harward (Quandamooka) and Dominique Chen (Gamilaroi), founders and creators of The Blak Laundry. The talk can be arranged in person (within 2 hours of the Sunshine Coast) or online, and can include a large group of participants. Date and time to be arranged after pledging, and must be redeemed by March 2025.
0 chosen / 10 available
Est. delivery is Mar 25
Socks belonging to a famous Blak Artist (framed and unwashed)
Make your life better and more interesting with a framed pair of socks belonging to a famous Blak Artist. Whether it be Gordon Hookey, r e a, Richard Bell, Judy Watson, Chelsea Watego, Bronwyn Bancroft or some other big name, these socks are a prized 'must have' in any Aboriginal art collection. Artist is guaranteed to be a famous, house hold name with national and international touring credentials. All socks come professionally framed and with a Blak Laundry Certificate of Authenticity.
0 chosen / 10 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Original Blak Laundry Poster (It Will All Come Out In The Wash Bub) (Framed)
Own a peice of Blak Laundry history, with the original It Will All Come Out In The Wash Bub A3 poster used in the Laundry since it's inception. The poster will come framed and signed, and full of Blak Laundry love, sweat and tears.
0 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Original Blak Laundry Poster (Agitation in Progress) (Framed)
Own a peice of Blak Laundry history, with the original Agitation in Progress A3 poster used in the Laundry since it's inception. The poster will come framed and signed, and full of Blak Laundry love, sweat and tears.
0 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Original Blak Laundry Poster (Heavy Load) (Framed)
Own a peice Blak Laundry history, with the original Heavy Load A3 poster used in the Laundry since it's inception. The poster will come framed and signed, and full of Blak Laundry love, sweat and tears.
0 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Blak Laundry Lint (Framed)
In exchange for your mad as donation, you will get to own a peice of genuine Blak Laundry lint, collected from the machines since the Laundry's inception. This peice of multi-coloured gold, holds the essence of collaboration and agitation, including washes with famous Blak Artists and members of the broader community that have done their 'dirty laundry'. It all comes out in the wash bub after all! The lint will come to you framed, and with a Blak Laundry Certificate of Authenticity.
0 chosen / 5 available
Est. delivery is Jul 24
Big Noter VDP (Very Deadly Person) Laundry Access
A personal tour of The Blak Laundry by the artists including lunch, special invitation to attend all Blak Laundry events and shows, a personal note from you on the touring Blak Laundry notice board, and a Blak Laundry T-Shirt of your choice. Wow you're just too deadly!
0 chosen / 20 available
Est. delivery is Dec 25