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 2026-29.
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.
Max Delany, Chair is an independent curator, artistic director and consultant with extensive leadership and curatorial experience across public art museums, contemporary art spaces, universities, publications and the public realm. he was most recently Artistic Director and CEO at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), and has preciously held senior curatorial and directorial roles at the National Gallery of Victoria, Monash University Museum of Art, Gertrude Contemporary and Heide Museum of Modern Art. Notably, he worked on the Visual Arts program for Next Wave’s 1992 festival and served as Visual Arts Coordinator for the 1994 festival.
Bec Cole, Deputy Chair is a champion of creating access to contemporary art and performance for everyone. Bec has worked extensively across leadership, strategic and creative programming roles, spanning public art, galleries, performing arts, creative industry development, major events and activity centre settings. She holds a Master of Commerce with specialties in business, economics and marketing and a Master of Community Cultural Development and currently lectures in Arts and Cultural Management at Deakin University. She is the Chair of NETS Victoria, sits on the Program Advisory Panel for Open House Melbourne and is a board member of RANT Arts, a peak body for regional arts in Tasmania. Bec is proudly palawa.
Hannah Jensen, Treasurer is a partner of Proctor Major & Co, a boutique accounting practice that services clients with a broad range of compliance and financial needs. Hannah’s technical knowledge, ambition and desire to manifest and nurture relationships with people from all walks of life were key to her early success. The firm has a significant portfolio of clients who operate and run their own small to medium-sized businesses, across a range of industries. Hannah’s portfolio of clients includes many individuals and businesses in the arts and entertainment industry. She uses her natural connection to the creative world to lead creatives to better develop their business acumen, allowing careers to flourish. Always having been a believer that art is the nucleus of culture and history, she is very excited to have joined as a member of Next Wave to facilitate the development and continuation of art in our culture.
Celina Lei is a Naarm-based arts professional whose practice sits at the intersection of storytelling, community engagement and cultural strategy. She is interested in how thoughtful programming and communication can strengthen the visibility, sustainability and public value of the arts.
Her career has taken her across Beijing, Hong Kong, Birmingham and New York, spanning the art market, public institutions, editorial and cultural consultancy. She has worked as a writer, critic and Content Manager at ArtsHub, contributed to international publications including Ocula and ArtAsiaPacific, and advised organisations including NAVA, Emerging Writers’ Festival and Creative Australia. In 2025, she was selected for Communicating the Arts’ 30UNDER30 program in Amsterdam, following her participation in DFAT’s Future of Leadership initiative for the Asia-Pacific in 2024.
Celina is currently Arts Officer at the City of Yarra, where she helps realise public art, professional development initiatives and community-engaged projects.
She joined the Next Wave Board because she believes emerging artists are essential to a healthy cultural ecosystem, and is thrilled to contribute to an organisation that creates conditions for experimentation, risk-taking and long-term creative careers.
Patrice Sharkey is an independent curator and writer who has held leadership positions at two of Australia’s leading small-to-medium organisations - as Artistic Director of Adelaide Contemporary Experimental and Director or West Space, Melbourne. Other professional positions include Head of Exhibitions and Programs, TarraWarra Museum of Art and Assistant Curator, Monash University Museum of Art. Patrice served as an elected organisational representative and Deputy chair on the Board of the National Association of Visual Arts (NAVA). She is a previous TCB Art Inc. board member and un Magazine editorial committee member.