Okkoota ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ (alliance, gathering, assembly) curated by Vishal Kumaraswamy brings together a stunning ensemble of 13 local and international artists to flip Arts House on its head. Featuring film, performance, sound, installations and text, Okkoota ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ draws from the anti-caste movement and contends with the ever-present remnants of colony, the violence of assimilation and seeking belonging in the face of overwhelming threats of erasure.

Okkoota ಒಕ್ಕೂಟ is part of Arts House’s Equity—Builder where an artist-curator from a marginalised community is handed over the keys, spaces and resources for a curatorial project across two years in an effort to renew the relationship between the institution and independents.

Bábbarra Women’s Centre, in collaboration with Tharangini Studio, presents a collection of woodblock textiles supported by the Australian Government’s Centre for Australia-India Relations.

Karri-djarrk-durrkmirri (we work together) in Kuninjku, symbolises the union of culture. Sixteen First Nations women artists from West Arnhem Land, custodians of sacred Djang (creation stories), collaborated with Tharangini Studio in Bangalore to replicate their designs in woodblock form.

The Porgai Artisan Association in Tamil Nadu embroidered three textiles, blending Lambadi traditions with Arnhem Land’s stories.

This exhibition honours the cultural heritage of the Indo-Pacific Region, celebrating ancestral stories through rich textile traditions.

Footscray Community Arts is an arts precinct with a 50-year legacy of community-led arts and creative practice. While grounded in Melbourne’s west, they recognise their place and have an ongoing commitment to support the cultural exchange between First Nations arts communities, particularly across the Asia-Pacific.

Footscray Community Arts partnered with Japan’s Saison Foundation to develop and deliver a residency exchange program for First Nations artists. This program supported Wakka Wakka, Ngugi, and Birrpai dancer and storyteller Ngioka Bunda-Heath to undertake an artist residency in Tokyo and engage in cultural exchange with the Ainu community in Hokkaido. Additionally, Footscray Community Arts hosted Ainu artist Mayunkiki. The artist exchange was preceded by a process of cultural reciprocity and knowledge exchange between Footscray Community Arts’ Elder in Residence Uncle Larry Walsh (Taungurung) and Ainu elder Masahiro Nomoto. This ensured cultural understanding and safety for the artist residencies.

Lumbung in Western Sydney was hosted by Arab Theatre Studio (ATS) and Pari, in collaboration with Gudskul. ATS is a small independent artist-led Arab arts and cultural organisation on Dharug Country. Based in Parramatta on Dharug Country, Pari is an artist-run space where people and communities come together to talk, think, learn and do. Gudskul is an educational knowledge-sharing platform formed in 2018 by three Jakarta-based collectives: ruangrupa, Serrum, and Grafis Huru Hara.

Connecting Asia-Pacific Literary Cultures: Grounds for Encounter and Exchange explores an ethical, reciprocal model for peer-to-peer cultural exchange between writers and writing, spanning the Asia-Pacific.

Led by RMIT University’s non/fictionLab, in collaboration with writers, translators, and partner organisations from across the region, it has staged Indigenous-led, festival-based, and fully digital collaborative residency programs.

The model, developed since 2014 as WrICE (Writers Immersion and Cultural Exchange), has brought together over 90 writers from 13 countries and First Nations. It has produced a fluid transnational network that has led to creative partnerships, publications, public events, and career development.

The project is funded by the Australian Research Council.

4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (4A) is an independent not-for-profit organisation based in Sydney, Australia. 4A fosters excellence and innovation in contemporary culture through the commissioning, presentation, documentation and research of contemporary art. Their program is presented throughout Australia and Asia, where they ensure that contemporary art plays a central role in understanding and developing the dynamic relationship between Australia and the wider Asian region.

BLEED (Biennial Live Event in the Everyday Digital) interrogates the relationship between the digital and the live.

Developing new contemporary art practices that are both enabled by and critical of the digital public sphere, BLEED’s unique model allows artists and audiences to create and experience cutting-edge art, culture and ideas. Across diverse mediums, time zones and borders, BLEED probes the extent to which digital technology can deepen our understanding of one another.

In 2024 BLEED was presented by a national consortium of partners: Arts House (VIC), Campbelltown Arts Centre (NSW), and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (WA). Six digital and live contemporary artwork commissions were premiered by seven lead artists across this continent and beyond.

The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial 2024, Codes in Parallel, presented ambitious works by over 30 artists from Indian Ocean Region countries in its International exhibition, in collaboration with Major Exhibition Partners.

A further 200+ craft artists exhibited in the accompanying festival program at over 40 galleries and art-spaces in metro and regional Western Australia.

‘Futuring Craft’ was IOTA’s international conference, expanding the dialogue around the issues and opportunities that craft presents now and in the future.

The National Gallery is Australia’s national visual arts institution. The national collection comprises over 155,000 works of art, including the world’s largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Following a tour to Western Australia, Singapore and New Zealand, Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia is now on display at the Gallery. The survey of historical and contemporary works of art by First Nations artists from across Australia is presented in partnership with Wesfarmers Arts. Although Ever Present is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, it does not shy away from Australia’s complex histories.

In collaboration with First Nations musicians and artists from Australia and the broader Oceania region, Wantok Musik celebrate and share unique music and films while honouring the diversity, creativity, cultural richness, and resilience of Oceania. Through Wantok’s work, they aim to transform lives and communities. By harnessing the power of music and art, Wantok empowers artists to share vital stories with the world. Their efforts promote traditional languages and cultures, build sustainable careers, create employment opportunities, foster cultural diplomacy, and unite communities in pride and cultural appreciation.

Awarded to an individual or arts organisation that has demonstrated leadership and commitment to working interculturally and internationally, building the capacity of communities and audiences, or opening pathways for a new wave of diverse artists, over 10+ years.

Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan (b. 1962, 1965, Philippines) are known for their uniquely cooperative practice, in which they address themes of displacement, change, and memory by way of community engagement. Collaboration has always been an integral part of the Aquilizans’ practice, not just as partners in marriage and art making, but as a tool to give voice to underrepresented populations. Many of their projects include workshops with groups directly affected by the subject matter explored in the work. The award-winning artists have received critical acclaim for their large-scale site-specific installations, which are often constructed using materials both abstract and referential, such as cardboard boxes, packing tape, and personal belongings — items that reflect the challenges and hopes characteristic of the migratory experience.

Leo Tanoi is a Sydney-based Niu* Pasifika Creative of Samoan descent who has worked for 30 years as a producer, curator, media presenter, writer, performer, DJ, and community development specialist for major arts, culture, education, welfare, health, and sporting organisations.

His projects include Back Home, Sydney Festival; Strictly Samoan, Penrith Regional Gallery; Body Pacifica, Casula Powerhouse; Edge of Elsewhere, Campbelltown Arts Centre; Siamani Samoa, Carriageworks; Treasure Islands, ACE; Lifting the Tapu, MCA.

*Niu. Polynesian word for baby coconut, preferred early state of development, used for drinking.

Yumi Umiumare is an acclaimed Japanese-born Butoh dancer, choreographer, and creator of Butoh Cabaret, celebrated for her bold and distinctive style cultivated over 30 years. Her visceral works seamlessly blend humor, cultural identity, and spirituality, redefining classical approaches to theatre-making.

As the artistic director of Melbourne’s ButohOUT! since 2017, she explores themes of Dance, Tea, and Spirit, captivating audiences globally. A recipient of the Australia Council Fellowship (2015), Green Room Geoffrey Milne Memorial Award (2017), and Melbourne Fringe Living Legend Award (2024), Yumi continues to inspire through her commitment to ritual, healing, and intercultural art practices.

Grace Vanilau is a Naarm-based Samoan mama, cultural producer, and interdisciplinary artist. With over 30 years of experience, she has been a driving force in producing and advocating for innovative platforms for Moana Pasifika creatives and diaspora, fostering intercultural dialogue and collaboration.

Her extensive body of work has seen her perform and exhibit across numerous local and international platforms, including La Femmes Funk Festival (Kanaky), Festival du Cannes (France), QAGOMA, Museums Victoria, and the Mirror exhibition at the State Library of Victoria, where she is currently undertaking a creative fellowship.

Alexis Wright, a member of the Waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria, is one of Australia’s most acclaimed writers. She is the author of prize-winning fiction and non-fiction and is published widely overseas.

Wright has won numerous literary awards, including the Miles Franklin Literary Award for Carpentaria and Praiseworthy, as well as the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Queensland Literary Award for Praiseworthy, which was also shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award.

She is the first author to win the Stella Prize twice for Tracker and Praiseworthy. Her novel Praiseworthy is the only book to have received both the Stella and the Miles Franklin awards in the same year.