Tiwi Islands screen print art workshop from Darwin

Design and print your own Tiwi artwork, then take it home

A full-day class on the Tiwi Islands off Darwin where you travel by ferry, share morning tea with Tiwi Islanders, and learn screen printing from Aboriginal artists in an exclusive workshop. You'll choose a contemporary or traditional Tiwi design and print it onto a t-shirt, tea towel or fabric to keep. Tourism is tightly limited here, making this a rare chance to work directly with a community that maintains its traditions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Tiwi Islands and art workshop

• Ferry ride to Tiwi Islands
• Rest and lunch in the shade
• Participate in screen printing workshop

The experience

The day starts with a ferry ride from Darwin on a high-speed catamaran equipped with air-conditioned cabins and outdoor decks. After you arrive on the Tiwi Islands, a local Tiwi guide leads you through the community, visiting places of cultural significance and explaining local history and rituals. You'll share traditional morning tea with Tiwi Islanders before heading to the art centre for lunch in the shade.

The screen printing workshop is the heart of the day. You'll work alongside Aboriginal artists in a behind-the-scenes setting, choosing from contemporary or traditional Tiwi designs to print onto a t-shirt, tea towel or fabric of your choice. What you create is yours to take home: a tangible souvenir of time spent learning directly from the artists who make this work. The whole experience runs nine hours from Darwin, with the ferry handling the transport and the guide managing the day's flow between sites.

What’s included

• Local guide leading you through the community and the workshop.
• ferry transport on a high-speed catamaran with air-conditioned cabin and outdoor decking.
• traditional morning tea shared with Tiwi Islanders.
• lunch in the shade at the art centre.
• screen printing workshop where you design and print a take-home t-shirt, tea towel or fabric with an Aboriginal artist.
• WiFi on board the ferry.
• onboard restroom access.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 3 Jun 2027

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 35 · max 9 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by SeaLink Northern Territory

Is this one for you?Small groups work well here since the workshop and the community visits are built around close interaction with local artists and guides. The nine-hour commitment suits a full free day in Darwin rather than a rushed afternoon, and the screen printing means you leave with something you made, not just something you saw.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What's the Tiwi Islands community like when you visit?

The Tiwi Islands are home to an Aboriginal community that maintains strong cultural traditions. Tourism is deliberately limited, so visits are rare and closely managed. You'll move between sites of cultural significance with your local guide, who explains the history and rituals of the place as you walk short, easy distances between the ferry landing, art centre and mission precinct.

Can I choose what design I print in the workshop?

Yes. You pick from either contemporary or traditional Tiwi designs, then work with an Aboriginal artist to screen print your choice onto a t-shirt, tea towel or fabric. The design you select and the item you print it on are both your choice, and you take the finished piece home with you.

How much walking is involved in the day?

It's an easy stroll over short distances. You walk between the ferry landing, the art centre and the mission precinct, but nothing strenuous. The day is suitable for all fitness levels, and families with infants can bring prams or strollers.

What's included in the nine-hour day?

The ferry ride from Darwin, a local guide throughout, morning tea with Tiwi Islanders, lunch, the screen printing workshop with an Aboriginal artist, WiFi on board the ferry and access to onboard restrooms are all included. You'll need to arrange your own hotel pickup and drop-off to and from the Darwin ferry terminal.