Next Wave is a leading not-for-profit arts organisation dedicated to supporting early-career artists working across multiple art forms. Next Wave plays a defining role in the Australian arts landscape by empowering and advocating for early-career and experimental artistic practice in Australia.
Through mentorships, creative developments, public programs, events, live performances and partnerships, Next Wave creates spaces for gathering and exchange, ambition and experimentation, and meaningful community connections.
Established in 1984 as a biennial Festival, Next Wave now runs a year-long program from our home at Brunswick Mechanics Institute, in Naarm/Melbourne. As Next Wave continues to evolve in response to the changing nature of artist and sector needs, its commitment to investing in and nurturing artists at the most critical stage of their career remains constant. Next Wave’s program enables artists and audiences to test ideas and push boundaries that embrace new perspectives, challenge our thinking and platform the next generation of cultural leaders.
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View our festival archive, 2002–2020.
Read our Strategic Plan 2025-28.
From the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin Nations, Next Wave is privileged to traverse the land and waterways of this continent of many nations – to share in the act of art making and culture building – grounded on justice, friendship and care. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Our vision is a world shaped by artists.
For forty years, Next Wave has shaped the Australian arts landscape, playing a pivotal role empowering and elevating early-career practitioners, and advocating for the next generation of artists.
Next Wave began as a Narrm/Melbourne-based festival, platforming the next generation of artists to showcase contemporary, experimental, and bold new work.
In 2021, Next Wave took on a new strategic direction, moving away from the festival model to year-round programming in direct response to artist and sector needs – including sustainable working practices and the space, time and resources to support creative development.
To this day, Next Wave’s commitment has remained constant: nurturing early-career artists in the most crucial of moments as they develop their practice and skills.
Our long-term investment in young people and early career artists is more important than ever to ensure the arts and cultural sector of the future is vibrant, equitable and strong.
– — Board member, Amrit Gill
Vision
A world shaped by artists.
Purpose
Next Wave facilitates artists and their arts practices through relationship building and ideas exchange, creative and skill development, and the resources to support the research and presentation of work – across disciplines, art forms and generations.
Values
Next Wave’s values inform our activities. Every aspect of the organisation – including programming, partnerships, funding, curation, staffing, communications and relationship-building – are guided by, grounded in, and expressions of, our values.
Justice
First Nations, first – forming genuine relationships with elders, communities and artists, to embed best practice throughout all aspects of our operations that is informed by consultation and on-going community engagement efforts.
Anti-racist – committing to racial literacy that is both rigorous and nuanced, which centres the voices of the Global Majority.
Self-determined practice – centering the visions, aspirations and needs of artists and their communities, which are informed by their diverse lived and cultural experiences.
Equity – minimising barriers to engagement, and actively extending opportunities beyond the inner-city to the suburbs, regions and rural communities
Artist-centred – prioritising money and resources for artists and their projects in relation to overall organisational spending.
Friendship
Mutuality – intrinsically valuing each other as equals, each with the unique opportunity and responsibility for exchange, to give and receive, listen and speak, teach and learn.
Cultural integrity – respecting and honouring individual practice, positionality, and connection to country, context and place, collaborating in ways that are non-extractive and non-appropriative.
Generosity – where relationships beget relationships, connecting artists to an expansive, living and growing network of fellow artists, communities, organisations and audiences across cultures, generations, geographies and artforms.
Care
A culture of safety for artists, audiences and staff – inviting us to bring our full selves to every encounter where personal and cultural obligations such as parenting, caring, Sorry Business, health and wellbeing are given space and consideration.
Moving at the speed of friendship – engendering flexible and responsive work environments, structures, timelines and conditions that are culturally safe, accessible and nurturing.
Cultural competence – investing deeply in training staff and artists to be equipped with the capacity and sensibility to do their most fulfilling work.
Healthy work environments, sustainable practices and prioritising wellbeing – ensuring we thrive, in our physical and mental wellbeing, prioritising health for the environment, as an organisation, sector and society.