Tom Molyneux, a Gunditjmara man and Head of First Nations Programming & Engagement at Monash University Performing Arts Centres, joins SmartArts to discuss Kindred People, a new Indigenous-led arts festival launching in September 2026 across Monash campuses and on Country.

Addressing why Melbourne needs another festival, Tom emphasises that Kindred People is about creating sovereign, Indigenous-led cultural spaces.

Among the planned works are two world premieres: a First Nations circus work led by Harley Mann (Wakka Wakka), and The Scarecrow & Waaa, a Low Speak (Nyungar) work that brings together sound, movement, and visual score-making to engage with colonial histories and contemporary cultural practice.

Blending performance, ceremony, and idea-led discussion, Kindred People foregrounds collaboration and shared cultural practice across disciplines and communities, bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists alongside international Indigenous voices.