15 May 2026
Culture, story and practice shared in Arts8 Collaboration at NAISDA
Australian Youth Orchestra flautist Elana Sydenham has participated in the 2026 Arts8 Collaboration on Darkinjung Country in the NSW Central Coast, collaborating with students from Australia’s eight leading performing arts training organisations for an intensive partnership of creative exchange.
The collaboration was hosted by NAISDA, Australia’s leading performing arts training organisation specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Now in its eighth year, the annual Arts8 Collaboration brought together artists across dance, music, theatre, film and circus, supporting the development of Australia’s next generation of creative practitioners.
Elana was joined by 14 students from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), NAISDA, the Australian Ballet School (ABS), Flying Fruit Fly Circus (FFFC), the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA), the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS).
During the four-day residential exchange the young artists worked together developing new work and shared practice, culminating in an informal showing on the final day that reflected the collective process.
Elana, who is in her first year of Bachelor of Music Performance at Sydney Conservatorium, am is in the AYO Flagship Orchestra said she enjoyed learning about the creative process behind other performing arts practices.
“What I most enjoyed about Arts8 Collaboration was how everyone was so passionate about each of their art forms. Everybody was so friendly and we all worked so well together.”
Elana Sydenham, AYO flautist
The other Arts8 students were Dylan Gavan and Ruby Jack (ABS), Maya Hall and Kyro Russell (AFTRS), Daniel Casey and Lily Tamir-Regev (ANAM), Aoife Gordo and Rhianna Denton (FFFC), Cleo Doyle and Julia Villaflor (NAISDA), Lara Elliott and Laiken Jackson (NICA) and Hayley Cantrill and Sophie Weller (NIDA).
Exchange and discovery
The collaboration also involved strategic planning, with Arts8 CEOs and creative leads meeting to discuss the partnership’s role in supporting Australia’s creative sector and priorities.
AYO CEO Kimbali Harding said having the opportunity to learn from First Nations knowledge holders, including Uncle Gavi Duncan, and to work alongside NAISDA students was particularly powerful. “That sharing of culture, story and practice brings a depth and diversity that strengthens not only the work created, but the artists themselves,” said Kimbali.
“We value the Arts8 collaboration enormously. It creates a rare space where exceptional young artists from across disciplines come together in a genuine spirit of exchange and discovery.
“At the Australian Youth Orchestra, we see firsthand how this kind of collaboration pushes our musicians beyond the boundaries of classical training, opening up new ways of thinking, creating and connecting.”
Kimbali Harding, AYO CEO
NAISDA CEO Kim Walker AM said it was especially meaningful to host the 2026 collaboration on Darkinjung Country, in NAISA’s 50th year. “It reflects the importance of working collectively to strengthen career pathways and align our training with national cultural priorities in support of Australia’s strong and sustainable creative future,” he said.
NAISDA Dance Practice Lead and 2026 Arts8 Program Coordinator Katina Olsen reflected on the experience. “Cultural knowledge, story and place are embedded in NAISDA’s training and shape how our students move, think and create. Sharing that approach brought a depth of First Nations connection and perspective to this year’s collaboration.”