Building Creative Futures to advance cultural equity for People of Colour
What the project is about
HARAMBEE Creative Futures is a three-and-a-half-year initiative creating stronger, culturally safe pathways for People of Colour across Victoria’s dance and performing arts sector.
Led by Kwabo Events and Ausdance VIC and funded by VicHealth through the Shifting the Playbook program, the project brings together artists, communities, arts organisations, education providers and local councils to create opportunities for participation, employment, leadership and creative development.
At its heart, HARAMBEE Creative Futures is about creating a sector where People of Colour feel safe, recognised and valued — where culture, creativity and lived experience are celebrated, and where artists and arts workers can build sustainable careers and thrive.
Together, we’re working towards a healthier, more inclusive and representative future for Victoria’s creative industries.
Why this work matters
Victoria’s dance and performing arts sector is shaped by the creativity and contribution of diverse communities. Yet People of Colour remain underrepresented across many areas of the sector, from participation and training through to employment, leadership and creative decision-making.
Too often, pathways into the arts have not been designed with the cultural knowledge, aspirations and lived experiences of People of Colour in mind. This can create barriers to participation, limit access to sustainable creative careers and contribute to environments where people may not feel culturally safe, recognised or supported.
HARAMBEE Creative Futures responds to these challenges by working with communities, not simply for them. By centering lived experience, strengthening cultural safety and creating meaningful pathways into the creative industries, the project aims to support lasting change for artists, arts workers and the organisations they work within.
What we’re creating
Over three-and-a-half-years, HARAMBEE Creative Futures will bring together community, arts, education and local council partners to create practical pathways for People of Colour to participate, lead and build careers in the creative industries.
The project will focus on:
Cultural safety
Supporting partners to develop stronger, more culturally safe practices through training, organisational development and cultural safety initiatives.
Creative pathways
Creating opportunities for training, mentorship, professional development and employment across dance, performance, production and arts management.
Community-led creativity
Supporting People of Colour to shape and lead creative programs, performances, events and other public outcomes that reflect their experiences, cultures and ideas.
Leadership & representation
Expanding opportunities for People of Colour to take on leadership roles and contribute to decision-making across Victoria’s creative industries.
Knowledge & sector change
Capturing what we learn along the way and sharing that knowledge through evaluation and the development of a Cultural Safety Framework to support longer-term change across the sector.
The Journey
Creating meaningful change takes time, collaboration and a willingness to listen, learn and adapt.
Over three-and-a-half-years, HARAMBEE Creative Futures will bring communities, artists, organisations, councils and partners together through a series of connected activities and opportunities. From listening and learning through cultural safety assessments, to developing creative skills, creating employment pathways and sharing what we learn, each stage of the journey will help build towards a more culturally safe and representative arts sector.
This is a journey we are creating together — shaped by lived experience, community knowledge, creativity and collaboration.
Cultural Safety Assessments
Working with partners to understand current practices, identify opportunities for change and strengthen cultural safety across creative workplaces.
Community-Led Incubators
Supporting People of Colour to develop skills, ideas and experience across performance, production, event management and creative leadership.
Training & Creative Development
Creating accessible opportunities to build skills, confidence, networks and professional experience within the creative industries.
Employment & Placements
Connecting emerging creatives and arts workers with practical work experience, mentorship and employment pathways, including opportunities with local government and arts organisations.
Community & Public Outcomes
Bringing creative ideas into the public realm through performances, events, showcases and other community-led outcomes.
Evaluation & Learning
Capturing experiences, learnings and outcomes throughout the project to understand what is working, what needs to change and what can be shared with the broader sector.
Cultural Safety Framework
Bringing together the knowledge and learnings from the project to develop a practical framework that can support culturally safe practice across Victoria’s arts sector.
Explore Opportunities
There are many ways to be part of HARAMBEE Creative Futures. Explore current opportunities to participate, collaborate, learn and contribute. All Internship opportunities on the project have now been placed and are closed.
The Kwabo Creative Industries Incubator Placements for 2026 have now been placed and are now closed. We will announce 2027 Placements in the new year.
Interested in joining the HARAMBEE Creative Futures project as a trainee host organisation? EOI’s are now open. See Sector Opportunities for more information on how to get involved and partner with us.
Follow the Journey
Follow the people, ideas, partnerships and opportunities shaping HARAMBEE Creative Futures.
Our journey will evolve over three-and-a-half-years. As the project progresses, we’ll share what we’re learning, what we’re creating and the people who are helping shape the work.
Acknowledgements
The Harambee Creative Futures project is funded and supported by VicHealth’s Shifting the Playbook Initiative and delivered in partnership with Kwabo Events and Ausdance VIC
