What’s on online in NSW arts and culture
Teresa Margolles, Untitled, 2020, mixed-media installation. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, National Art School. Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with assistance from Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and Galerie Peter Kilchmann. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich. Photo by Zan Wimberley.
Culture is not cancelled – some of NSW’s leading arts and cultural organisations have gone digital and are bringing exhibitions, festivals, and performances to your door.
Here are just a few of the many online options on offer from across NSW – so you can still get your culture fix while also supporting our local artists, organisations, and institutions.
This page will be updated regularly so make sure you check back for the latest content. (Last updated 1 June 2020)
- Aboriginal Arts and Culture
- Classical Music
- Contemporary Music
- Dance
- Literature
- Multi-arts and Festivals
- Museums and History
- Opera
- Theatre
- Visual Art and Design
Aboriginal Arts and Culture
Bangarra Dance Company
Bangarra has launched the online platform, Nandhu, which means ‘to be close’ in Wiradjuri language. Nandhu takes you on a journey through some of the most iconic Bangarra productions through interviews, articles, and behind-the-scenes video content. You can also explore three decades of Bangarra’s creative process online through journeys, yarns, and interviews.
Biennale of Sydney
NIRIN: 22nd Biennale of Sydney is now online. You can access their unique multi-platform digital program including highlights from the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and National Art School (NAS) here.
Boomalli Aboriginal Art Gallery
Boomalli is presenting their current exhibition online. Stay tuned for upcoming exhibitions announced on their Facebook page.
Koori Radio
For the latest in community news, tune into Koori Radio through their app available on iTunes and Google Play.
Moogahlin Performing Arts
Moogahlin Performing Arts has launched Moogahlin Live, offering free talks, workshops and more on Facebook.
Classical Music
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra unveils ACO HomeCasts, their digital season that will bring the music and musicians of the ACO directly to you. You can expect new recordings, live-streamed performances, access to archival and never-released footage, specially curated playlists, in-depth interviews and more, delivered to your inbox every week over the coming months, and beyond. You can also listen to the Australian Chamber Orchestra on Spotify.
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Watch a selection of outstanding performances by Sydney Symphony Orchestra online.
The Brandenburg Orchestra
Listen to Tales of Baroque, a podcast series featuring Dr Alan Maddox and the Brandenburg’s Hugh Ronzani, in an in-depth conversation about the composers and masterworks of the Baroque and Classical periods.
Contemporary Music
If music is your passion use this time to upskill – Music NSW has some great masterclass videos online.
Online opportunities to collaborate, network, and upskill are available via APRA AMCOS’s The At Home Sessions.
Isol-Aid – An Instagram Live Music Festival
Isol-Aid “socially (media) distanced music festival,” is organised by Sydney songwriter Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt (Merpire) along with festival organiser Em Ulman and Shannen Egan of Turning Heads Agency in response to the widespread cancellation of tours and festivals due to coronavirus concerns.
For the next event stay up to date on the Isol-Aid Instagram account.
Dance
Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company is offering unlimited dance at home classes online through their virtual studio. Check out their class timetable.
The Australian Ballet
Access Ballet TV, your one stop for exclusive interviews, highlights, and unforgettable moments from the Australian Ballet.
Launching At Home with Ballet TV is David McAllister’s The Sleeping Beauty – a reawakened classic that will sweep you off your feet. View this masterpiece and more for free with the 2020 Digital Season released online from 5 April 2020.
Literature
Hunter Writers Centre
Get inspired online at the Hunter Writers Centre with engaging programs like Pen-demic or listening to excerpts from the Newcastle Short Story Awards.
State Library of NSW
Visiting the State Library of NSW has never been easier – launching Your Library at Home, the State Library of NSW offers e-books, magazines, journals and more and for free – all you need is your library card.
Sydney Story Factory
Online resources for parents and teachers and online classes for students at the Sydney Story Factory website.
WestWords
Check out the new virtual program of events, workshops, masterclasses, podcasts, writers groups, consultations and competition, on WestWords website.
Writing NSW
Participate in online courses and develop your skills at Writing NSW.
Multi-arts and Festivals
Carriageworks
Carriageworks launches their latest exhibition online. Experience Giselle Stanborough’s multimedia installation Cinopticon through video, text, and sound.
Critical Stages Touring
Critical Stages Touring presents Stage & Stream, an online resource where artists can submit their upcoming shows for inclusion at no cost. You can submit international shows, regular on-demand services from Australian arts makers and more.
Head On Photo Festival
Launching on the 1 May, Head On is going completely online. Check out their series of exhibitions, programs and free events.
Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
Visit MCA’s website to view its online collection , insightful interviews, curatorial essays, videos, talks, and learning resources.
Sydney Festival
Explore past festival highlights and check out the Festival playlist – from legendary songwriter Archie Roach to the beautiful harmonies of Marliya choir, celebrate some of our favourite music from Sydney Festival artists and support Australian music.
Sydney Film Festival
Check out Sydney Film Festival’s previous festivals online.
Sydney Opera House
Experience the Sydney Opera House like never before – from the comfort of your own home. From our House to yours is a weekly program with performances and talks, podcasts, and never-before-seen footage. Tune in weekly from Wednesday to Sunday from 6pm.
Sydney Writers’ Festival
Sydney Writers’ Festival offers their favourite stories. Check out reading lists, podcasts, and more online.
Museums and History
Australian Museum
Sit back and listen to live talks and ‘in conversations’ with Australian Museum Director and CEO, Kim McKay AO, as well as scientists from the Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI), and experts in Indigenous Australian and Pacific cultures.
Join the AM Inside Out and deep dive into fascinating stories and learning materials for inquisitive minds everywhere.
Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
Blue Mountains Cultural Centre presents Virtual Insight, a curated selection of free digital content, featuring DIY art making activities, staff insights into the collection and exhibitions, book and game recommendations, food recipes from the cafe, and much more.
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
Learn about the unique stories told by the objects held in the renowned collection of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.
Museum of Art and Culture Lake Macquarie
Museum of Art and Culture is developing exciting new online tools and resources to help the community stay connected, including introducing ARTSPACE@HOME – featuring simple art-making activities for children on its Facebook page.
Sydney Living Museums
Interested in what life was like in Sydney before the internet? Explore the online catalogues of Sydney Living Museums to see thousands of images, manuscripts, and textiles.
Opera
Carriageworks and Sydney Chamber Opera
Carriageworks and Sydney Chamber Opera are presenting the World Premiere of Breaking Glass, four new operatic works created by Australian female composers: Peggy Polias, Josephine Macken, Georgia Scott and Bree van Reyk. Premieres 25 April at 2:30pm AEST on Facebook.
Gondwana Choirs
Let the Gondwana Collective lift your spirits as they talk about what is getting them through COVID-19 in this video. Gondwana Choirs has also released their latest online program from the Sydney Children’s Choir, providing a range of online training for many of their young choristers, visit the website for more information.
Opera Australia
Opera Australia has created another way to share their performances with opera fans, launching OA | TV: Opera Australia on Demand, a free online streaming service. Stay up-to-date with all things opera on Opera Australia’s Facebook.
Pinchgut Opera’s Artistic Director Erin Helyard has put together a series of playlists of some of his favourite artists and music to keep you occupied with beautiful things.
Theatre
Bell Shakespeare
Bell Shakespeare is offering opportunities for students to participate in the Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival. Sign up for more information.
Belvoir St Theatre
Streaming from Friday 22 May for one weekend only, Belvoir St Theatre is having its first ever online performance, ‘Belvoir in Concert’. Presenting the best of Belvoir’s songs in a series of specially recorded performances by their original cast members.
Griffin Theatre Company
Griffin Theatre Company is working with some of the artists of BATCH Festival to present it live and online.
Sydney Theatre Company
Watch Q&As, interviews, features, and more in Sydney Theatre Company’s online magazine, a collection of podcasts available now.
Visual Art and Design
Art Gallery of NSW
Go behind the scenes at the Art Gallery of NSW and watch artists and curators in conversation and in the studio. Take a virtual visit through the collection and catch featured artists and artworks on Art Gallery of NSWs Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Art Gallery of NSW with media partner the ABC presents Together In Art Kids, invites primary school-aged children from around the country to create works to a specific theme, kicking off the program with inspiration from Australian artist Del Kathryn Barton.
Artspace
Artspace has launched the Australian edition of 52 Actions, commissioning Australian artists for performances, video, sound and text-based work, interventions and digital productions. Artspace will present 52 actions on their digital platforms, Facebook and Instagram.
Australian Design Centre
Australian Design Centre is providing ways to stay crafty, see weaving guides, interviews, and keep up-to-date on their Facebook page.
Bega Valley Regional Gallery
Bega Valley Regional Gallery is going online with their popular Creative Kids workshops, BVRG Kids. Featuring art projects, tutorials, print outs, and more. Follow them on Facebook for announcements and updates.
Blacktown Arts Centre
Presenting new online workshops and ways to get creative, Blacktown Arts invites you to join them on Facebook to stay connected and preview artists in the upcoming exhibition Terra inFirma.
Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery
Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery has launched #museumfromhome on Facebook, featuring key pieces from the collection and creative prompts to keep the juices flowing.
Casula Powerhouse
Casula Powerhouse are working on an exciting digital program featuring artists, performers, and companies. Visit the website and follow them on Facebook for more updates.
Gallery Lane Cove + Creative Studio
Gallery Lane Cove has launched Art in Unity, a digital program consisting of three Covid-19 quick response exhibitions and public programs curated specifically for online reception. Check out their website and Instagram for virtual exhibitions, workshops and more.
Grafton Regional Gallery
Visit Grafton Regional Gallery for learning resources and activities for all ages.
Hawkesbury Regional Gallery
Presenting online arts workshops for kids and other exciting online programs to be announced on Facebook soon.
Lismore Regional Gallery
Lismore Regional Gallery is introducing a collection of online resources, podcasts, exhibitions, artists talks, online workshops and more – all accessible through their website and Facebook page.
Manning Regional Art Gallery
Take a virtual tour of the Doug Moran Art prize and stay up to date with the latest exhibitions at Manning Regional Art Gallery though Facebook. Keep an eye on their website for more content.
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA)
The MCA will begin launching new content online throughout the coming weeks. Stay up-to-date and find out more about the artworks and artists in their collection and engage with learning resources for students of all ages.
The MCA’s popular youth-led program GENEXT goes digital, with GENEXT Goes Online. On Sunday 31 May, kids aged 12–18 can take part in online activities such as guided art-making workshops, a hip hop dance class by Sydney Dance Company, youth-led panel talks, live performances and interactive art-making.
National Art School (NAS)
See an online version of NAS’s recent Margaret Olley Drawing Exhibition, interviews with the Biennale of Sydney and how art students have created studio spaces in their homes to keep up their practices. Catch up via the NAS’s website, Facebook and Instagram.
NAS’s Library Stairwell Gallery presents its first fully online exhibition, Decameron: Drawings from home, featuring work by Masters of Fine Art 1 Drawing students.
On Stillness is a collaboration between NAS Gallery and Newcastle Art Gallery on Instagram, with both galleries posting images from their collections around the theme of stillness, and inviting other regional galleries to contribute.
Newcastle Art Gallery
Take a virtual tour through the highlights of Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection online and follow their Facebook to stay connected.
On Stillness is a collaboration between NAS Gallery and Newcastle Art Gallery on Instagram, with both galleries posting images from their collections around the theme of stillness, and inviting other regional galleries to contribute.
Orana Arts
Join Orana Arts for their fee-free Online Soup Sessions and Exhibition Space – giving the region’s creative sector the chance to meet up, join the discussion and vote for their favourite creative pitch via live online streaming.
Parramatta Artists’ Studios
Parramatta Artists’ Studios has produced a suite of online events and programs, including Slow Burn as part of Art Month Sydney, ‘CLOSE FRIENDS: 7 safe words for digital intimacy’ (2020) by artist Sabella D’Souza on Instagram and online WEAVE workshops through Facebook.
Tamworth Regional Gallery
Tamworth Regional Gallery is providing online workshops, exhibitions and more, join in and sign up on their website.
We are regularly updating this page so please come back for updates.
If you are an arts and cultural organisation and you have online programs or content that you would like us to include on this page – or that could be promoted on social media please –contact us at strategic.communications@create.nsw.gov.au.
Image: Teresa Margolles, Untitled, 2020, mixed-media installation. Installation view (2020) for the 22nd Biennale of Sydney, National Art School. Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with assistance from Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and Galerie Peter Kilchmann. Courtesy the artist and Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zurich. Photo by Zan Wimberley.
Published: 3 April 2020