The Program:
Storytelling is our DNA. In sharing stories, knowledge and art making, we all grow stronger; deepening our understanding and making space for vital ideas.
The Sydney Fringe Yalgali Artist in Residence is for a First Nations Artist to join the Sydney Fringe Team to continue working on their own creative practice while providing the chance for our team to learn, engage and share through casual yarns, and more formal consulting activities. Our goal is through the Yalgali Artists in Residence we can both support a First Nations Artist in their ongoing practice and explore a bigger conversation about what a longer-term relationship might suit both parties.
The paid six-month residency will culminate in a work in progress showing/exhibition of the work you have developed. This can be a closed or open showing depending on your needs and ambitions. Upon the finishing of your residency Fringe would then continue conversations about programming the work at future Festivals.
There are two six-month residencies on offer that can be completed between July 2026 and June 2027. Residencies may overlap with each other or be undertaken in intensive blocks as agreed upon between Fringe and participating artists.
The Work/ Eligibility
The intention of the Yalgali Artist in Residence is to provide a dual opportunity to continue to develop your creative practice and to work with an arts organisation consulting on how we can best engage, learn and grow through casual yarns.
- We are seeking people who:
- Have an existing arts practice: genre or arts practice that matches the festival remit.
- Has an interest in working and growing skills in the indie arts and festival sector.
- Have a practice that can be worked on in a shared office space with breakout space and/or temporary studio space available upon negotiation.
Genre’s/Disciplines: You can be a fine artist, a poet, a playwright, a storyteller, musician, and more as long as you feel like your work can be served by and meets the above parameters.
The Opportunity- What you Get
Access to our shared office space for art making practice between hours of 9:00am-5:00pm Monday – Friday;
A weekly payment of $150 for the term of the residency ($3450 in total for residency term to be paid monthly across 24 weeks);
Use of board room for meetings or gathering related to art practice;
Invitation to all VIP events in Sydney Fringe 2026 + Festival Pass (Golden ticket to see all shows @ Fringe);
Opportunity to present a work in progress showing or exhibition of your work in the 2026 or 2027 festival;
Access to consulting and longer yarns about bolstering your residency here and your practice beyond (ie chats with marketing, partnerships, programming, support contacting and strengthen relationships with mentors etc);
Opportunity to contribute meaningfully to Sydney Fringe cultural competency;
The 2026 artist residency runs from 15 June to 16 November (23 Weeks total).
The Deal – What we’d like from you
Be onsite one day a week working on you practice and be open to sharing, practice and conversations with staff on site, you can be in as often as you like every day if that works but must commit to one day a week (can be flexible across the month);
During the festival attend key events to be determined by First Nations team and festival needs (i.e. program launch, VIP nights, awards, donor night Etc);
Available for 1-2 consulting meetings with the organisation to provide feedback on festival/ organisation;
Available for publicity commitments to be prearranged with our Marketing team;
Collaborate with the Programs team, via planning, production and delivery meetings to deliver a work in Progress showing.
How To Apply
Important Dates
June 01 Expressions of Interest Open
June 29 Expression of Interest Close
August 29 – October 11 Sydney Fringe Festival
Note: Residencies activities can start any time after July 13, 2026, and would be completed by June 30, 2027.
For any questions, please contact:
Erica erica@sydneyfringe.com | First Nations Coordinator
Peta-Joy Williams petajoy@sydneyfringe.com First Nations Community Liaison, Artist in Residence 2024
More Info
Yalgali is the name of the small white flowers that bloom on the Gadi grass trees, also known as Xanthorrhoea, from which the Gadigal people are named for. Each part of the Gadi plant has a use, the long stem is perfect for spear making, the soft wood of the base can be used a fire drill, its sharp leaves become a knife and the heart of it flowers are edible. In 2025 The Sydney Fringe launched its First Nations Program with a Hub dedicated to First Nations work and gathering spaces. Yalgali was the name given to the Hub and the ongoing program built to support First Nations artists, honouring the country our September Festival take place on each year, and capturing the spirit of new ideas and fresh works blooming in the spring.
Previous Yalgali Artists in Residence
2025 Glory Touhy-Daniell
2024 Peta Joy Williams
