Hello! It’s me, Jamie.

Since February 2021, I have been in the role of CEO/Executive Director. More importantly, I have had the joy of once being a Next Wave artist, and the pleasure of being a long-time audience member!

I’m writing to ask for your support to empower Next Wave in our continued work to support artists and their arts practices –– so that we may amplify ambitious ideas, experimental practice and critical storytelling that reflect the zeitgeist of our times.

Over the past year and a bit, we’ve all experienced a lot –– apart and together. We have lived through extended lockdowns and moments of separation, as well as moments of rest and reckoning.

At Next Wave, we paused and listened to independent artists, met them where they are at –– leaning into the sticky conversations that interrogate how we present, gather, advocate and tell the stories of our times.

We’ve learned a lot and it has shaped how we plan to move into our future. It’s in our DNA to test, embrace change and pilot – we’ve been doing it for 37 years. In 2021, we committed to transforming our models and approach – away from the festival outcome – to renew our commitment to artist and practice development, putting $286,593 direct to artists and their projects and opening our doors to provide 776 hours of free space to our community (while we had 99 days of lockdown).

True to our 37-year legacy, I’m thrilled about the artists we are working with, commissioning 18 lead artists in the development and presentation of new work across the continent beginning in 2021 and continuing long into our future.

There is zero doubt that when arts organisations meaningfully centre artists – that the cultural expressions that follow will be urgent, dynamic and rich.

We only need to get ourselves out of the way!

In this new chapter, Next Wave is focused on shaping itself to be the container in which artists can be best nurtured in their experimentation and their practices. To do that, we anchor ourselves to a financial narrative that we can be proud of.

And this is where we need your support.

This may sound basic. It’s because it is.

Because doing our most basic jobs well is a simple, fundamental, radical act of care.

And we plan on keeping it simple.

Come tell this story with us ––
so that the artists may tell theirs.

A little, or a lot helps us catapult the voices of our time, break new ground, seed new networks, elevate unheard stories and make art that help us better understand our world, and each other.

Donate today.