Holding Space

Holding Space is one of Sydney’s most exciting cultural exchange contemporary arts programs, spanning three years. In its name, artists from First Nations, refugee and culturally diverse backgrounds are given the space to share their unique perspectives and creative ideas, drawing on ancestral knowledge, lived experience and intergenerational discourse.

In 2026,  Rituals of Reciprocity – Land and Water invites participating artists and audiences to reflect on relationships with our natural environment and each other. Curated and led by CuriousWorks, in partnership with communities across Western Sydney, artists ask how cultural practices can help sustain people and the planet through First Nations, refugee and culturally diverse ways of seeing and experiencing the world.

Experience Sohrab Kolahdooz and Shervin Mirzeinali’s powerful Persian percussion practice, where tradition meets contemporary sound. Then, witness Jade Dewi Tyas Tunggal and Ria Soemardjo’s performance exploring water, displacement, care and hope. After, discover the work of Western Sydney filmmakers Aprille Asfoura, Ali Rezvani, San May, and Sivani Yaddanpudi as they trace stories of memory, identity, ritual and belonging.

Join us for a showcase of artists commissions and film screenings and see what a different perspective can teach you about relationships between people, place and community.

Presented by Sydney Opera House and CuriousWorks

Holding Space is funded by the NSW Government through the Multicultural NSW COMPACT Program. Our project collaborators are SSI’s Community Refugee Welcome Centre located at Callan Park, Lilyfield, and Community Partners Sydney Opera House.

Image: Where Ends Meet by San May, Maggie Tra, Annabel Hom and Sovanarry Chan