Bankstown Arts Centre And Sydney Festival Host Public Programming For 3rd Bankstown Biennale

Bankstown Arts Centre, in association with Sydney Festival, has announced a series of public programs as part of the 3rd Bankstown Biennale: Same Same/Different, running from Thursday 9 January to Thursday 23 January 2025, celebrating cultural dialogue and creativity through workshops, performances, and community activities.

Highlights of the Public Program include:

• 9 January: Local artist Glenn Locklee launches the series with a guided tour of the Biennale, offering unique insights into the exhibition's themes. The event concludes with refreshments and a one-on-one Q&A session with Glenn.
• 11 January: Morgan Hogg and Benny Akulia host an all-ages Raffia Cook Islands Costume Making Workshop, where participants craft dance costumes using natural materials and explore the cultural importance of caring for Country.
• 16 January: The Art Up Late series begins with Stories to Call Down the Light, presented by Common Ground and Debris Magazine. Writers and artists, including Camren Glynn Braun, Kirli Saunders, and Toyah Webb, lead a reading group, panel discussions, and live readings.
• 17 January: Ngiyampaa and Guringai artist Tarni Eastwood hosts a weaving workshop at Chester Hill Library, sharing traditional and contemporary First Nations techniques. Participants create individual pieces that contribute to a collaborative artwork.
• 18 January: Lunar New Year celebrations feature a vibrant Artist Market showcasing handmade gifts by local artists. The event includes workshops and panel discussions led by Bankstown Biennale artists.
• 19 January: A day celebrating community and culture begins with a Collaborative Clay Workshop led by artist Ruth Ju-Shih Li, where participants craft organic floral forms and contribute to a collective ephemeral clay sculpture. The day continues with From the Palm Of, a roundtable discussion hosted by Gillian Kayrooz and other creatives, exploring food as a cultural and communal connector.
• 23 January: The Art Up Late series concludes with Deep Time Cabaret by Salllvage, an 18+ evening of music, beats, and performance art that delves into the tectonic of Country and hyperfutures.

Led by a curatorium of esteemed First Nations and CaLD curators – Coby Edgar, Jason Wing, and Rachael Kiang – this year's Biennale proposes an exploration of equitable multiculturalism. Same Same/Different draws inspiration from a common phrase used in Australia's Top End, where Asian and First Nations communities describe their experiences as “same same, but different”. This concept encapsulates the exhibition's focus on the potential for shared understanding without erasing individual cultural identities. By emphasising respectful coexistence, Same Same/Different highlights First Nations' perspectives on interconnectedness as an alternative to rigid, divisive worldviews.

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