Bábbarra’s artists design and hand-print exquisite textiles that are sold around the world. Each length of fabric is unique and tells the ancestral stories of their Arnhem Land country and cultures.

Bábbarra Designs is one of the oldest continuously operating Indigenous textile enterprises in Australia. The establishment of Bábbarra Designs occurred alongside the rise to international fame of the artists of Maningrida Arts & Culture. Many of Bábbarra’s leading artists – Susan Marawarr, Jennifer Wurrkidj, Deborah Wurrkidj and Helen Lanyinwanga – attribute their artistic education to the world-renowned artists in their families, including some of Australia’s finest bark painters: James Iyuna, Mary Marabamba and Lena Kuriniya.

Bábbarra brings together women are from more than 12 language groups in the Maningrida region, in Australia’s Northern Territory. They come together at Babbarra Women’s Centre to share knowledge and ideas, which is what led them to set up their first social enterprise, Bábbarra Designs.

Bábbarra is governed by women for women, led by the strong voices of their Bábbarra Women’s Board. They operate an op shop and a community laundromat, as well as support women’s centres on remote homeland outstations in the region. Working creatively with Bábbarra Designs is a way for the women to achieve financial independence, for their community and the next generations.