On the 18th of June 2025, we wrapped up our first-ever iteration of Future Culture – our pipeline program that embedded two early-career artists (Cassandra Li & Emma Pham) as well as two arts worker interns (Kirsten Maglalang & Kobra Sayyadi) into CuriousWorks’ operations. This is to benefit the artists, arts workers, and the organisation symbiotically; and in turn to nurture sector development and foster sustainability for the community arts and cultural development sector.

As we mentioned in our wrap-up blog post, we are in awe of the entire Future Culture cohort and we thank them for their incredible energy, knowledge-sharing, and generative conversations.

Here, we hand the microphone to both Future Culture Arts Worker Interns, Kirsten Maglalang & Kobra Sayyadi to share their experiences of being in the program, and more.

Tell us the story of your time with the program.

Kirsten: Throughout the course of Future Culture, I learnt many things but the one that I find most important, is how crucial the role of CuriousWorks is for communities. This organisation’s presence matters because the people who have built it and are part of it, know and recognise the complexities of different lived experiences. During my time here, I learnt of the many projects and programs created that develop safe spaces to share, to create and to explore. To be given time for these things and also have conversations with people within the community, I realised that I have the ability to step up to also create pathways of connectivity.

When I learnt of the many opportunities there were for young people and early- career artists like myself, I knew that I would be able to grow in a space like this. As I had my one-on-one’s with each staff member, I was able to develop my writing skills and really figure out why I am an artist. From learning the why’s and how’s, I learned the processes of actually putting those changes into practice. With a focus on the arts being both accessible and inclusive, my time spent here at CuriousWorks generated a lot of hope in me.

Kobra: Participating in the Future Culture program gave me a renewed sense of confidence both as an artist and an arts worker. It really affirmed for me that I belong in this space, especially in the community arts sector and more broadly within the Australian arts scene. I left the program feeling a strong sense of responsibility and agency to shape the future of the arts, especially in service to the Western Sydney community.

As a Hazara Australian and part of the migrant/diaspora community in Sydney, I felt encouraged to bring my full self to the table. The program created space for me to bring my lived experience into conversations, and to express the needs, challenges, and possibilities that exist within our communities.

One of the highlights for me was the conversations we had as a team. We talked about issues that matter to our local arts communities, to the Australian arts landscape, and to the world more broadly. These moments of collective reflection and dialogue were thoughtful, challenging, and inspiring. They reminded me of the importance of making space for honest, critical conversations in arts work.

How has your understanding of arts work changed through the program?

Kirsten: Prior to this internship, I never truly understood the depth of what goes into arts work. I always heard the words ‘community arts’, but I didn’t really know much about the processes as my focus was set on the end product of different programs rather than the process. As I slowly acknowledged the importance of process within my own practice, I was also learning more about the importance of arts work.

I think my lack of knowledge stemmed from being constantly surrounded by people teaching me that the only pathways in the arts would strictly adhere to large galleries and that I had to work in certain ways to cater to certain audiences. Honestly, I was so set on wanting to be a curator – but now that I have experienced working in the arts, I realised that there is so much more within the sector. If anything, arts work aligns more closely with what I really want to do, which is to collaborate with communities (not that galleries don’t do this already but there are definitely limitations and very obvious disparities).

I also now know how crucial it is to have paid opportunities like Future Culture because of how undervalued arts work is. It has made me realise how I used to minimise the time and labor spent on the creation of my art too.

Kobra: This program really shifted how I think about arts work. I now see it as something that’s done in service to artists and communities.  It’s not just about producing outcomes, but about creating space for people to show up fully, and to be supported in doing their best, most meaningful work.

I also saw how important it is to build in time for reflection and care. Whether that’s through check-ins, collective sharing, or grounding exercises, these moments of connection keep us strong and responsive, as individuals and as a collective.

It made me think more intentionally about how we work together.

In what ways do you feel better equipped to contribute to Future Culture as an alumni? How will your experience shape your work moving forward?

Kirsten: As Future Culture alumni, I have gained a stronger sense of community and now deeply recognise that I am capable of making impactful changes. From the moment I started as an intern, I found that I was already making these changes and recognised my own personal growth. I have had friends, family, peers, tutors etc., see this change in me as well and it has made me very proud of what I have achieved. Many thanks to everyone in the core team who believed and continue to believe in me!

I think l am now better equipped because I have learned to be much more considerate in the ways in which I approach certain issues and communities. It is my duty to serve the community in a safe and supportive manner.

I think that Future Culture has made me a kinder human being and that is something that we really need in this world.

Kobra: Future Culture gave me practical tools, like learning how to advocate for myself and others through social contracts and working agreements. But beyond that, it showed me what a healthy, growth-oriented and care-focused arts workplace can actually look and feel like.

I now understand how powerful it is when artists are welcomed as their full selves and how much that sense of safety and support can fuel creative energy and collaboration.

This experience helped me grow, not just professionally but personally. It’s given me a strong foundation and a clearer vision of the kind of arts culture I want to be part of and help build.

Kirsten is currently our Administration Assistant (maternity leave cover). She’s also an incredible artist! You can check out and follow her work on Instagram here.

Kobra is currently the Education Sales Assistant at Bell Shakespeare & NIDA and NToP Page to Stage Participant at Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta. She’s also an amazing writer! You can check out and follow her work on Instagram here.