As we approach the end of financial year, your support is more vital than ever.

The Torch is a not-for-profit arts organisation that delivers a visionary program supporting First Nations people with lived experience of incarceration. Our work is only possible because of the generosity of our philanthropic community.

We recently launched our EOFY Appeal and we want to thank everyone who has already contributed. If you haven’t yet had the chance to donate, now is a powerful time to stand with us — and with the artists whose lives are being transformed.

One of those lives is Brodie’s.

Brodie Peters-Godden is a Nari Nari/Wemba Wemba man. He was first imprisoned in 2018.

“My life was out of control. I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions. I had trouble grieving and doing everyday stuff – there was a lot of violence, and a lot of pain with a lot of traumas I had to deal with”

When he started painting in prison, it gave him a way to start making sense of what he was feeling. For Brodie, reconnecting with culture has been a powerful part of his journey.

He joined The Torch program in 2023 and soon after his release last Spring, Brodie gained hands-on experience in the gallery delivering Live Art sessions with his friend and fellow artist, Jeza. Brodie’s commitment to change was clear. He showed us that it’s the determination of artists themselves that changes lives.

With the backing of our supporters, we invited Brodie to step into the role of ‘First Nations Trainee – Operations Support’. If you call the office on a Tuesday or Thursday, you’ll likely receive a warm greeting from him. Brodie is also undertaking a Certificate IV in Community Services as part of the Wadamba Prison to Work Program, a supported pathway to employment for Aboriginal men and women aged 18 to 35 who are on remand.

He recently shared with us:

“I’ve been in and out of prison since 2018 and had struggled to break the cycle of returning to prison. Since joining The Torch, it helped me start to break that cycle.

The Torch has helped me with employment, a sense of direction, and staying in touch with my culture. A healthy routine has allowed me to push myself to grow into a better community member, given me a sense of pride, allowed me to be able to give back to the community, and supported my self-development (both professionally and personally).

The support I get from The Torch is a powerful motivation to better myself every day and is a big reason why I am well on my way in turning my life around. For once in my life, I am excited for my future”

That line, “For once in my life, I am excited for my future”, stays with us. Like you, when we see the incarceration rates, deaths in custody, the recent news from the Warlpiri community, we can feel helpless.

But The Torch gives us hope.

With over 900 artists involved with The Torch each year, our work continues to deepen and grow. Government and philanthropic organisations help, but they are a far cry from what the artists we engage with hope for and deserve.

Your tax-deductible donation – large or small – can help us offer our life-changing program that supports First Nations artists to determine their own path and create something to be proud of, and a brighter future to be excited about.

Will you join us in walking with artists as they make their own choices to change their lives? Will you support artists like Brodie to have futures worth being excited for?

Please donate today.