“I am part of three demographics of people who have traditionally not been heard or seen,” presenter and AGNT BLAK founder Bianca Hunt says. “Blak, a woman, and young.”

The Kamilaroi, Barkindji, Ballardong and Wadjak woman is used to being underestimated. As a fresh-faced presenter making a splash hosting shows including NITV’s The Point and Yokayi Footy, she sought out representation to help her navigate the murky waters of the entertainment industry. “Each agency I pitched to said they either had closed books, I wasn’t established enough, or they didn’t see myself being part of their talent group. It is incredibly daunting not having professional headshots, not understanding what rates are, or even how the media and entertainment industry works.”

But having been raised with a strong work ethic – her family motto was “you either work, learn, or earn” – Bianca isn’t one to back down easily. At her 25th birthday party she found herself surrounded by talented Blak creatives, all lamenting the difficulty of finding good, and culturally safe, representation.

As a child, Bianca had dreamed of being a musician. But an incident in high school put an end to it. “I had a teacher be incredibly disrespectful towards me and my culture, which sadly is where I lost the love for creating music and wanting to pursue that as a pathway”, she recalls. And so, at 25, she took matters into her own hands, founding AGNT BLAK: a talent management agency for First Nations creatives.

Here, she tells us about advocating for herself, for her community, and why representation – in every sense of the word – matters…

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Take me back to your childhood. What kind of values did your family model and instil in you when it comes to work ethic?

You either work, learn or earn. As one of three, I learnt very quickly how important education was and is the key to my family's success. My dad was the first in the family to go to university with only a year 10 education. Post this, my mum went on to university and so did my siblings and I. We learnt that we were never going to be given anything, that we had to work for it and that no matter how other people see us, that we are strong, powerful and worthy. 

How did you come to work in media, and what do you love about it?

I made my debut on The Drum in 2018 which saw me get a bit of media attention. Not long after this NITV (National Indigenous TV) connected with me. I went onto work on their news program The Point, and it started there.

One of the incredible journalists that worked on the show at the time, Rachael Hocking, was so welcoming of me, and I felt safe on set knowing someone just like me - a young Blak woman - was part of hosting the conversation. Her presence, strength and power was amazing to watch and that’s where I could genuinely see myself potentially being part of the media and entertainment world.

In 2019, I debuted as a co-host for the 2019 NAIDOC Awards, and a few months later auditioned for Yokayi Footy and now have my own Agency!

I love being in this space because I can be me, but also knowing our mob have more people that look just like them on a screen makes me feel proud. It’s something I wish I had more of growing up. 

Freelancing and project work is the reality for many creatives, but it can be notoriously unstable and unpredictable. Do you find this stressful or do you enjoy the constant changes?

Honestly, I was incredibly stressed at the beginning. I felt really refreshed initially when I announced I would be freelancing, but it was daunting not knowing where or when my next pay check would come in. However, I do genuinely have more freedom, more ability to choose what I do and do not want to work on, and as the country starts to open up, more travel and big projects. As weird as it was [freelancing] at the beginning, I genuinely couldn’t think of anything better.

Bianca on the set of Yokayi Footy

As you were managing yourself and booking multiple gigs, when did you start looking for an agent, and what was that process like?

I began looking during my Yokayi Footy season. Each agency I pitched to said they either had closed books, I wasn’t established enough, or they didn’t see myself being part of their talent group. It is incredibly daunting not having professional headshots, not understanding what rates are, or even how the media and entertainment industry works. So having had to manage myself and my bookings has helped me be in a position where I want to support more mob in this process, so that it is not so scary or unachievable. 

Without management behind you, how do you advocate for yourself in terms of fair work, equitable pay, and an employer’s ethics and values?

It was incredibly hard. At times finding out you’ve been paid far less than the person next to you, or having people want to gift you products in exchange for content, it is difficult. I try to do as much due diligence as possible when it comes to engaging in work, making sure it works with my beliefs and values as much as possible, but also understanding if it is a tokenistic offer or not is difficult to know if you don’t know the right questions to ask. 

At what point did you start to think about founding AGNT BLAK, and tell me the ‘why’ for getting it started?

I’ve wanted to do something like this for a long time, I just didn’t know exactly what that was. On my 25th birthday it was like an epiphany hit me. I was celebrating with my favourite Blak creatives and we all discussed how hard it was to find the right people to represent us and also feel safe whilst doing so. A few months later, AGNT BLAK was born.

Why is it so important to have Indigenous representation not just on our screens and in front-facing roles, but in the management and behind the scenes divisions of media?

We understand each other. The lived experience we hold to represent the next Blakfulla is incomparable to someone who is non-First Nations. Our people deserve to be front and centre of our screens and embedded throughout every space between. 

What’s your goal with AGNT BLAK?

To be the go-to Agency to work with First Nations Talent.

In the next year however, to have some staff working for AGNT BLAK and to be on ground in each state and territory to provide development workshops and recruit new talent. 

You actually studied business at university – did this come in handy in the process of founding AGNT BLAK?

I sure did! It’s been 4 years since I graduated. It’s funny because at the time something was telling me, ‘do entertainment, do entertainment’...I did, and I now know why. 

My formal qualifications are Bachelor of Business (Management) and Bachelor of Creative Industries (Entertainment Industries). I did Business because I knew it would get me jobs, creative industries kept my passions and increased happiness whilst studying. I am so lucky now that I can use all of that knowledge and put it into practice!

What’s been your greatest challenge as a businesswoman?

It is interesting because I am part of three demographics of people who have traditionally not been heard or seen. Blak, a woman, and young. Being young, I’ve dealt with a decent amount of ageism, of course being in the public eye racism has come across my DM’s and comments, as well as sexualisation. It is difficult being in a world where each space has systematically not been built for people like me. And yet, here I am. 

What’s been your proudest moment in establishing AGNT BLAK?

There are so many! But knowing that all of our talent can be seen in a commercial that has gone to many broadcasters and social media sites, for the Changemakers LinkedIn Campaign, is incredible.

What’s your advice to anyone who feels there isn’t space for them in a particular industry or workplace?

Instead of asking for a seat at the table, create your own. Of course develop yourself, gain as much knowledge and learning as possible, but when you’re ready to step out and up, do it. The success you achieve will be worth the failure.