CuriousWorks

🎊𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://curiousworksannualreports.cargo.site/2025 (link also in our bio) “CuriousWorks, like all small to medium non-profit community arts organisations, delivers what we do off the good will, the hard work and the deeply purposeful commitment of a collective of humans (our staff and Management Committee). These humans are supported and complemented by the good will, hard work and deeply purposeful commitment of another collective of humans (our partners and collaborators). Together we turn public money (Government grants), earned revenue (fee for service income), and donations and in-kind contributions (thanks lovely friends/peers) into support for brilliant, creative humans and essential workers (artists), who then turn it into public good (things like: emotional resonance, new understanding, shared experiences, connection, belonging, social bonding, wellbeing etc. etc. etc.) for communities (more humans). 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲, 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀, 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀.” – Kiri Zakinthinos, CEO. ✨ 📸Photo of Wendy Qi Zhang (@wendyqizhang ). Taken by Damon Amb (@damonamb ). 📸Photo of Ameer Ali: supplied. CuriousWorks staff photos taken by Dylan Mangunay (@mngny_ ) with assistance from Esky Escandor (@esky.esk ). Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text section of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #AnnualReport #CommunityArts #WesternSydney #Reflections

BackStage Music are excited to announce that Expressions of Interest are now open for Azimuth - Navigating Sound & Place : Sonic explorations of the diaspora experience in ‘Western Sydney’ curated by Isabella Rahme At the heart of this project is sound. We invite artists from Western Sydney who are interested in creating and experimenting with music-based art to engage with the concept of ‘navigating sound & place’. How this looks is up to you, and the more experimental the better. However sonic explorations manifest in your practice, whether you are a performer, composer, sound-artist, poet, producer, or installation artist, we want to hear from you! For the full details and to apply, please visit the BackStage Music website. Link in bio. Applications are open until Sunday 14 June 2026 at 11:59pm. Image Descriptions: Historic maps of Sydney cut up and collaged together with old photographs of people and Australia. Text ‘Azimuth’ (artwork by Nicholas Astill) plus photos of artists performing at previous Backstage Shows and information which can be found on the website.

Need a reset that doesn’t involve a screen? Meet your new fave chill zone: 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 🧠📝🎨 Building upon its first iteration as part of Youth Week 2026 in collaboration with Fairfield Libraries, these workshops will continue to be your space to let your creativity lead while your brain takes a well-earned breather. Co-led by our Creative Producer Miranda Aguilar (@mirandaaa831 ) and Administration Assistant (maternity leave cover) Kirsten Maglalang, these workshops are open to everyone who wants to collage, create and fill up their journals while having conversations (or not) about whatever is cluttering their minds. All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own receipts, fruit stickers, postcards – whatever pretty junk you’d like to reuse. 🗓️ 5-7pm, On Wednesdays from 6th of May to 24th of June 2026 📍Fairfield City HQ (@fairfieldcityhq ), 17 Kenyon Street, Fairfield 🔗 These workshops are free, but registrations are essential. Please register here: .au/project/dear-brain-dump-diaries (link also in bio) Image description is embedded in the alt text section of the graphic. #CuriousWorks #DearBrainDumpDiaries #JunkJournalling

Happy Friday everyone! Here are some FYIs as well as the latest artist programs and opportunities for you to check out. ⚡ The Australian Government is developing a new National Cultural Policy to shape the future direction of the creative and cultural sector. Join us in calling for increased recognition of and support for Community Arts and Cultural Development. Please read the full statement & add your name today. Submissions close 11:59pm, 24 May 2026: /statement/ 📖 Co-led by Miranda Aguilar and Kirsten Maglalang, 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 is a series of free junk journalling workshops, which are open to everyone who wants to collage, create and fill up their journals while having conversations (or not) about whatever is cluttering their minds. Happening from 5-7pm on Wednesdays up until 24th of June 2026 at Fairfield City HQ – please register here: .au/project/dear-brain-dump-diaries 🎶 We’re proud to be supporting 𝗔𝘇𝗶𝗺𝘂𝘁𝗵 - 𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 & 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 – a project presented by BackStage Music and curated by Isabella Rahme. We’re inviting artists from Western Sydney who are interested in creating and experimenting with music-based art to engage with the concept of ‘navigating sound & place’. How this looks is up to you, and the more experimental the better. EOIs are open until Sunday 14 June 2026 at 11:59pm. For the full details and to apply, please head here: .au/azimuth-eoi ✨ Swipe through to learn more & make sure to subscribe to our newsletter and artists email for more detailed info & roundups like this! Link in bio or reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to sign up. 💌 Image descriptions are embedded within the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #WesternSydney #WesternSydneyArtists #ArtsOpps #ApplyNow

🧠 Last week, we ran our first 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 workshop which was led by Miranda Aguilar and Kirsten Maglalang! It was lovely to meet everyone & go through binding, letters, and pockets together. 🎨 For our second workshop coming up tomorrow, we will be weaving using paper strips, putting our anxieties to bed & transforming them into a sanctuary filled with things that comfort/support us and give us joy instead. 📝 These junk journalling workshops are open to everyone who wants to collage, create and fill up their journals while having conversations (or not) about whatever is cluttering their minds. All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own receipts, fruit stickers, postcards – whatever pretty junk you’d like to reuse. 🗓️ 5-7pm, On Wednesdays up until 24th of June 2026 📍Fairfield City HQ (@fairfieldcityhq ), 17 Kenyon Street, Fairfield 🔗 These workshops are free, but registrations are essential. Please register here: .au/project/dear-brain-dump-diaries (link also in bio) 📸 Photos taken by Kirsten Maglalang. Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #DearBrainDumpDiaries #JunkJournalling

The Australian Government is developing a new National Cultural Policy to shape the future direction of the creative and cultural sector. You can make a submission now! Join us in calling for increased recognition of and support for Community Arts and Cultural Development. For more info, visit revivecommunityarts.com (link also in our bio) 📝 Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. @revivecommunityarts @ausgovarts @tony_burke_au Crossroad Arts has also partnered with ADNA to make the following plain English and Auslan explanation of how to submit for those who may find it helpful. It is captioned and audio described as well. Watch here: /watch?v=2XQho3fpoUI&t=52s #ReviveCommunityArts #CACD #NationalCulturalPolicy

The 2025 CuriousWorks annual report is live. Scroll through for a snapshot of our programs and head here for the full report: https://curiousworksannualreports.cargo.site/2025 (link also in our bio) ✨ Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #AnnualReport #CommunityArts #ArtsPrograms #ArtisticWorks

❇️ 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 | 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 ❇️ Last year, we received 70+ applications for the first iteration of 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. As we were combing through the applications, we noticed a few things that artists should know when they apply for programs like 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. Here, we re-share some excellent general advice from our Creative Producer Miranda Aguilar (@mirandaaa831 ) on crafting applications: .au/crafting-applications-learnings-from-the-future-culture-callout (link also in our bio) We hope this advice helps you in submitting your application for 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 (and all your other endeavours)! 🙌 ⏰ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟬 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟭:𝟱𝟵𝗽𝗺. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: .au/project/future-culture (link also in our bio) 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗔𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗮 (@claycosmologies ), 𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶@𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺.𝗮𝘂 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙤 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (@minderoofoundation ). Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #FutureCulture #ArtistinResidence #ArtsWorker #EOI

Happy Tuesday folks! We have some exciting news to share... 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 – 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗭𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀! 🎉🌟 It is an honour to receive this recognition and hold it alongside the incredible artists, community participants, project collaborators, and staff. For 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗘, artists from Western Sydney, First Nations backgrounds and refugee communities created works that explored how rituals can bring together traditional practices and modern responses, helping to foster connections within and between different cultures and communities. The creative outcomes unfurled in extraordinary ways at the Sydney Opera House on November 28 as well as through an exhibition at the Community Refugee Welcome Centre on December 6 and 7. Artists and community members worked collectively to create a beautiful body of artworks exploring stories of lived experiences, ancestral memories and traditional ceremonial practices of welcome. Individual artists also explored their cultural heritages to re-imagine and create new cultural practices and diversity of expression. We hold this nomination with all of these awe-inspiring folks. ❤️ 𝙃𝙊𝙇𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙎𝙋𝘼𝘾𝙀 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 @nswgov 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 @multiculturalnsw 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺. 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 @ssi_news ’ 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝗟𝗶𝗹𝘆𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 @sydneyoperahouse . Image description is embedded in the alt text section of the graphic. #ZESTAwards2026 #CuriousWorks #HoldingSpace

Meet your facilitators for our upcoming junk journalling workshops: 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀! 🧠📝🎨 Miranda Aguilar (@mirandaaa831 ) and Kirsten Maglalang will be your friendly guides in exploring your creativity at a chilled pace. Building upon its first iteration as part of Youth Week 2026 in collaboration with Fairfield Libraries (@fcopenlibraries ), these workshops are open to everyone who wants to collage, create and fill up their journals while having conversations (or not) about whatever is cluttering their minds. All materials provided, but feel free to bring your own receipts, fruit stickers, postcards – whatever pretty junk you’d like to reuse. 🗓️ 5-7pm, On Wednesdays from 6th of May to 24th of June 2026 📍Fairfield City HQ (@fairfieldcityhq ), 17 Kenyon Street, Fairfield 🔗 These workshops are free, but registrations are essential. Please register here: .au/project/dear-brain-dump-diaries (link also in bio) 📸 Photos taken by Fairfield Libraries. Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #DearBrainDumpDiaries #JunkJournalling

🎉𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://curiousworksannualreports.cargo.site/2025 (link also in our bio) From running our first year of the 𝘏𝘖𝘓𝘋𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘚𝘗𝘈𝘊𝘌 program to an iteration of 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 specifically for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies, 2025 was a massive year. A huge thank you to all the wonderful folks we worked and connected with. Watch our highlights reel to take a peek into the year that was. 🙌 📹Video edit: Samantha Barahona Video ID: A highlights reel from the CuriousWorks 2025 Annual Report. It contains snippets from the following CuriousWorks programs: HOLDING SPACE: Rituals of Welcome, Utopia Tranquility: Arts and Peace, Testing Grounds, Everything is Writing: We’re Still Here, Curiously West Film Club, Future Culture, Tender: Poetic Video Documentaries & Social Enterprise Projects [Arts & Cultural Exchange (ACE) CACD Community of Practice - Documentation, Settlement Services International (SSI) Safe Path - Video Production, Fetch Quest - creative workshops with Milk Crate Theatre, Fairfield City Museum & Gallery (FCMG) - We Are Here workshops]. #CuriousWorks #AnnualReport #CommunityArts

❇️ 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡: 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 ❇️ We're inviting EOIs for 🎨 two early-career artist residency opportunities to work with CuriousWorks that will run as salaried, casual, fixed-term, one-day-a-week positions from June 2026 through to the end of December 2026. 📝 two arts workers internship opportunities (one graduate/trainee creative producer internship + one mid-career arts leadership internship) to work with CuriousWorks that will run as salaried, casual, fixed-term, one-day-a-week positions from June 2026 through to the end of December 2026.  ⏰ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟬 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟭:𝟱𝟵𝗽𝗺. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲: .au/project/future-culture (link also in our bio) 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗞𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗔𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗮, 𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶@𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺.𝗮𝘂 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙤 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. Image descriptions are embedded in the alt text sections of the graphics. #CuriousWorks #FutureCulture #ArtistinResidence #ArtsWorker #EOI