Our vision is a world shaped by artists.

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.

See what we’ve been up to lately.
Check out our upcoming events.
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.

Now more than ever, our long-term investment in early-career artists and arts workers is critical to ensure the arts and cultural sector of the future is vibrant, equitable and strong.

When you donate to Next Wave, as a not-for-profit organisation, your donation directly invests in early-career artists and arts workers by:

• Supporting the professional development and capacity building of early-career artists through core mentorship programs including Kickstart and A Rising Tide.

• Seeding long-term and intergenerational collaborations and networking opportunities between early-career practitioners and our (mid-career to established) Artistic Directorate.

• Connecting audiences with experimental, community-centred, and artist-led work by the next generation of artists.

Donations of all amounts, small and large, make an incredible difference. Donate today and help us continue to invest in the future of early-career artists and arts workers.

Next Wave is a registered charity, registered by the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission, and endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) by the Australian Taxation Office. Donations to Next Wave of $2 or more are tax deductible.

Interested in partnering with Next Wave? Email elyse@nextwave.org.au for more information. We’d love to hear from you!

Support Next Wave

Adrian Goldfinch
Annie Robinson
Bec Cole
Chelsea Lang
Dan Koop
David Ralph
Dominic Taranto
Drew Pettifer
Hannah Grey
Hannah Jensen
Jamie Lewis
Julia Gregg
Lena Nahlous
Marita Dyson
Nicole Smith
Tom McKinnon
Annonymous x 7