Social enterprise Marnin Studio has become the first venture philanthropy partnership in WA for Social Ventures Australia (SVA).

Marnin Studio is an Indigenous arts and therapeutic studio operating out of the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre. The studio is supporting local Indigenous women to turn the things they love into projects that provide them with a source of income, as well as enable job readiness skills and therapeutic aid.

Through the venture philanthropy partnership, SVA will be supporting Marnin Studio with a combination of funding and capacity building support over a three year period to enable the studio to become a sustainable enterprise and ensure they can continue to offer healing and growth for the Fitzroy Crossing community.

“The relationship with SVA will help us to plan for many good things to happen in the community and reciprocally, we can provide knowledge and support to SVA that will help them and their partners to work with other communities like ours to bring about long-term positive benefits,” said Marninwarmtikura CEO June Oscar.

Marnin Studio Manager Brooke Small said the studio was honoured and proud to be chosen as SVA’s first venture partner.

“The partnership will enable Marninwarntikura to continue making a positive difference through empowering local women in the Fitzroy Valley to share their knowledge, strengthen their families and grow their ideas into a sustainable enterprise,” said Small.

Shiri Leventhal, Manager of the WA Venture Philanthropy Fund said, “Marnin Studio is another fantastic initiative from Marninwarntikura, who’ve continuously shown that community-led solutions are often the most impactful way to achieve social change.”

“We’re excited to work alongside Marninwarntikura and the Fitzroy Crossing community to understand and build on their success, and to support the studio to inspire a new generation of empowered women who will continue to lead the change they themselves want to see,” said Leventhal.