Our goal is to support a thriving and rich creative industry by unleashing a vibrant, talented ensemble of new artistic leaders into the sector. Your generosity enables us to nurture, amplify and empower the next generation of diverse artistic and cultural leaders from Western Sydney.
Bolster an innovative, accessible arts scene for all Australians.
Generate opportunities for unheard storytellers and emerging new voices
Nurture, amplify and empower the next generation of artistic and cultural leaders.
It’s been an huge year of festivals, productions, mentorship and showcasing of new works and works in progress! We had so much fun delving back into creativity with artists and communities from across Western Sydney and our amazing team.
We are closed from 21/12/22 to 16/01/2023
Urban Stories: En Route 2022
On November 17th, CuriousWorks held Urban Stories: En Route, our annual end of year showcase at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre.
Every year, CuriousWorks holds Urban Stories - our annual showcase event, providing an opportunity to celebrate the programs and projects from the year, recognise the importance of the process behind them, and celebrate the hard-working folks who make CuriousWorks’ work possible. It is also a chance to recognise our grassroots programs and celebrate the artistic journeys of our emerging artists. We also commemorated our anthology work, meet me at the next stop, which had its gallery opening that same night.
meet me at the next stop had its last public showing at the Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre this year!
meet me at the next stop is an anthology-style mixed media immersive installation exploring everyday experiences in Western Sydney. Staged on a replica bus stop with unexpected artistic elements, audiences are invited into the struggles, anxieties and joys of the artists’ everyday lives. Bus stops and public transportation play a huge role in the landscape of Western Sydney. Many areas have limited public transportation options so people are dependent on train and bus schedules. meet me at the next stop was designed as a reprieve from the everyday commute, a portal to the artists’ experiences for a brief moment.
Testing Grounds is a creative development and personal mentorship program for emerging artists interested in the creation and development of new work. Facilitated by Miranda Aguilar, this pilot program was founded on the idea that peer to peer support can be a wonderful tool for bringing new projects to life.
The program will be looking for a new cohort for 2023! Call outs start in early February. Keep an eye out!
The Refugee Artist Development Program supports newly arrived creatives from refugee backgrounds to navigate the creative industries in NSW. It focuses on development on new work, mentorship, employment and/or education. Many of the artists showcased their works for the first time at Urban Stories: En Route! This program gave the artists a safe and open space to share their art with constructive feedback.
2023 will hold new possibilities and opportunities for emerging artists from across Western Sydney. Testing Grounds, Refugee Artist Development Program and all our other emerging artist workshops will be back next year, with call outs starting from early February.
We’ll also be announcing new works in development, activities, programs and residencies through our newsletters, so make sure to stay tuned! Keep updated via our social media, website and newsletter!
Closing out another impactful year!
As 2022 comes to a close, we reflect on another incredible year at CuriousWorks. Thanks to our wonderful community we have continued to support emerging arts and their powerful stories.
We need your support to continue growing our organisation and community. The donations we receive from our supporters are integral to our ability to successfully support young and emerging artists and continue our impact. We understand it has been a difficult few years. If you are contemplating an end of year/holiday gift, we ask you to support CuriousWorks and join us in our continued commitment to the Arts.
Fact: Each year, CuriousWorks employs on average 80 artists. Over the years we have:
1. Identified more than 100 up-and-coming artists;
2. Provided over 50,000 hours of mentorship, training and paid creative work
3. Produced 67 powerful artworks by and for community
Working with artists and communities in South West Sydney, we actively shape a future culture that is vibrant, democratic, generative, and relevant for Australia and beyond. Let’s keep this going. Support our work today!
