"Discover Your Voice in Every Language"
Two-day multi-language festival brings international artists to campus for immersive cultural experience.
UNSW Sydney will host its annual Languages Festival on September 24-25, 2025, celebrating the rich tapestry of global languages and cultures taught at UNSW through innovative artistic performances, interactive workshops and authentic culinary experiences.
The festival transforms UNSW's Kensington campus into a vibrant multicultural hub, featuring artists from Japanese, Chinese, Greek, German, Spanish, French, and Korean backgrounds.
The 2-day event is free and open to the UNSW community and public, with international street food available for purchase. Registration for workshops is available here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/arts-design-architecture/our-schools/humanities-languages/news-events/events/unsw-languages-festival
Proudly presented by UNSW's School of Humanities & Languages and curated by Heartdancers Arts & Culture, winners of the 2025 Premier's Multicultural Arts and Culture Medal.
The UNSW Languages Festival aligns with the university's commitment to internationalism and cultural diversity, providing students and the broader community with authentic cultural experiences that extend beyond traditional language learning.
As part of UNSW's dedication to fostering multilingual competency and global citizenship, the festival reinforces the university's belief that language education is essential for preparing students to engage meaningfully in an interconnected world. Through innovative pedagogical approaches and immersive cultural programming, UNSW continues to champion language learning as a cornerstone of comprehensive education that develops both linguistic proficiency and intercultural understanding.
"This festival not only highlights all the languages that people can study at UNSW, but it is a celebration of linguistic diversity and cultural exchange," said Taylor C Sherman, Head of the School of Humanities & Languages. "
By bringing together exceptional artists from different cultural backgrounds, we're creating an immersive environment where the benefits of learning a language come alive through art, music, and movement."
Festival Highlights Include:
CHINESE INNOVATION: Dyan Tai, the self-described "Gaysian Empress of Sydney," delivers a hyperpop music performance inspired by Beijing Opera Drag and Traditional Chinese soundscapes. Named as one of the outstanding acts to watch at BigSound 2023 (NME) and praised by Flume for their sound design, Dyan creates "sophisticated palette pop" (Rolling Stone) that fuses ancient traditions with contemporary electronic music. The trilingual Chinese Australian artist's captivating live shows have been described as "a queer, euphoric dream that you don't want to wake up from" (5-star review, The Age).
SPANISH PASSION: "Versos del Fuego" presents an electrifying fusion of live music, Hispanic poetry and contemporary dance by GabzaK and Sophia Ndaba, paying homage to legendary Spanish and Latin American poets. GabzaK, a Chilean-born sonic explorer, weaves ancient rhythms with futuristic beats, fusing traditional world instruments with rich electronic textures. Sophia Ndaba, a powerful Zulu Australian dancer with background spanning Sydney Dance Company, NAISDA, and Dance Makers Collective, brings these soundscapes to life through contemporary and traditional movement that channels the energy of renewal, resistance, and ritual.
JAPANESE ARTISTRY: Tomoko, a master calligrapher with 18 years of experience, will perform dramatic large-brush calligraphy using a 1-metre brush on 7-metre paper, alongside personalized name card calligraphy for festival attendees. Her work has been featured across Australia and Japan for major clients including Opera Australia, Japan Airlines, and Sokyo Restaurant. The performance adds a mesmerising moment that blends tradition with contemporary engagement, offering guests lasting impact and beautiful keepsakes.
GREEK HERITAGE: Father-daughter duo Arrowbird and George Vavasis present a cross-generational celebration of Greek culture, bridging tradition with innovation through piano, synthesizers, and soulful vocals. GERMAN IMMERSION: "Echoes of German" offers a unique collage workshop accompanied by live cello performance by German-born cellist Vasja Senft, exploring language through visual art and classical music. FRENCH ELEGANCE: "Soirée Française" features vocalist Christelle's captivating performance of French chanson, jazz, and soul classics, accompanied by live accordion and mime artistry.
CULTURE ON THE MOVE: Weaving Workshops and ARTS exhibition. Join us for transformative weaving workshops that foster cultural knowledge sharing and wellbeing through the art of yarning. Led by Anissa Jones, ADA Indigenous Academic Specialist, these sessions will feature enriching discussions on language and history. Come together to learn, share, and connect through traditional practices that strengthen our cultural connections.
