Nurturing the next generation of cultural leaders beyond the festival season

When Sydney Festival lights up the city each January, we feel much of its impact in the moment – in performances, gatherings and shared experiences. But new moves are extending that impact beyond the festival and sparking lasting change.

Festival Commons is a new professional development and leadership program designed to support the next generation of First Nations and multicultural festival makers, curators and cultural convenors. More than a program of talks or networking events, Festival Commons is about building lasting connection, peer support and confidence – creating legacy well after the final curtain call.

Building futures, not just festivals

Embedded within Sydney Festival, Festival Commons brought together local and international participants for an intensive program of masterclasses, roundtables, site visits, field trips and networking. They were immersed in the inner workings of a major international festival, gaining behind-the-scenes insight into programming, production and leadership, while sharing their own community led practices.

For street dancer and cultural convener Dylan Goh, the value of Festival Commons lies in its honesty and openness.

“It was really about having a space to have conversations about festival-making – what it’s like to be a person working in these spaces – and to have behind-the-scenes insight and honest conversations with people practising art in this city,” Goh said.

Peer exchange is central to the cause, recognising that many emerging cultural leaders are already shaping conversation outside traditional institutions.

Producer and programmer Munasib Hamid described collaboration as foundational.

“I genuinely wouldn’t have a job without the support of my peers and collaborating. Festival Commons is all about solidarity – working amongst peers from different disciplines,” Hamid said.

Why this kind of investment matters

Despite Australia’s multicultural communities, only 5% of leadership roles across performing arts organisations are held by people from diverse backgrounds, with even less representation in major festivals. These gaps reflect a cultural sector increasingly out of step with the communities it serves.

Festival Commons directly responds by investing in diverse practitioners early in their leadership journeys – pairing mentorship with access, transparency and trust. Western Sydney-based producer Chidiebube Uba sees this as essential to sector change.

“We need targeted support to help future cultural leaders bring long held ideas to life – and safe spaces where we can openly critique what’s not working. How can we fix anything if we can’t be honest about what’s broken?” Uba said.

Why we’ve backed Festival Commons

The City of Sydney is a major supporter of Sydney Festival through funding and in-kind (non-monetary) contributions. Festival Commons exemplifies the kind of cultural investment we’re proud to back. The program elevates emerging producers, aligns with our cultural strategy, highlights the need to expand cultural content by investing in a more diverse creative workforce and nurtures the future leaders shaping Sydney’s creative life.

The 2026 cohort included local participants Bianca Hunt, Munasib Hamid, Chidiebube Uba and Dylan Goh, alongside international producers Hasib Mahmud (Dhaka) and Mithran R T Samuel (New Delhi). Goh’s recent appointment to the Sydney Opera House board underscores the long-term impact of sustained cultural development, building on our earlier efforts such as the Youth Curators program.

For Mithran R T Samuel, Festival Commons opens global possibilities.

“Being part of this cohort has introduced me to how Sydney connects with underground culture. It’s exciting to think about building connections from subculture to subculture, underground to underground, across borders,” Samuel said.

For Hasib Mahmud, a cultural producer and DJ based in Dhaka, Bangladesh it's been invaluable seeing how the arts are supported in a city like Sydney.

"I'm coming from a place where there's no real institutional support. So, our work acts like pockets of resistance in a very different environment," Mahmud said.

Creating a legacy of connection

Festival Commons reframes what a festival can leave behind. By investing in people rather than just programs, it strengthens Sydney’s cultural ecosystem – ensuring leadership pathways widen, community-led practice is valued, and Sydney’s cultural future remains dynamic, inclusive and connected.

We can’t wait to see what they do next.