Despite being a hub for creative talent, informative seminars and educational events, 2023 marks the first year that Australia – taking place in Sydney – will host the infamous South By Southwest (SXSW) American-founded event.

Created with the intention of helping creative people achieve their goals, SXSW was founded in Austin, Texas in 1987. Internationally known for its conferences and festivals that celebrate the merging of tech, film, music, education and culture, the futurist conference and festival-centred event has remained of great interest to global industry professionals, for years.

In 2023, the popular event is leaving its hometown of Texas to touch down and take place in the city of Sydney.

"SXSW Sydney will be a complete game-changer for Sydney and the Asia Pacific. Locally, it will increase visitation and bolster the creative economy," SXSW chair Geoff Jones said.

"Within APAC, it will facilitate a special connection between creative industries and businesses in the region – the kind that can lead to collaboration and innovation on a global scale."

Held across eight days and seven nights from October 15 to 22, Sydney will act as SXSW's hub for changemakers near and far.

SXSW Sydney will feature a series of sessions, showcases, screenings, exhibitions, and networking opportunities, that strive to educate, entertain and inform.

Drifting it's location from Texas to Australia will also see this year's event place greater emphasis on Australia's local Indigenous people, culture and traditions. The celebration of First Nations people and culture is seen throughout the event's broad selection of participating First Nations artists, speakers and musicians.

"Whether it is in the sciences, tech, games, screen or music industries, First Nations voices and stories are an integral component of the global platform of SXSW Sydney," said the SXSW team.

This year, SXSW Sydney has also partnered with First Nations-founded creative agency, Awesome Black.

Dedicated to highlighting the talents and power of First Nations people and communities, Awesome Black is committed to cultivating partnerships with organisations that advance and empower their mission.

This partnership with Awesome Black will ensure that increased First Nations representation is achieved in all areas of the SXSW Sydney program.

Aside from upholding inclusive cultural protocols and ensuring greater representation is achieved, SXSW Sydney wants to celebrate participating First Nations creatives for their individual specialities.

Striving to uphold inclusive cultural protocols, ensure greater representation is achieved and celebrate the rich talent of Indigenous individuals, SXSW Sydney will welcome a series of Australia's top-performing First Nations creatives.

In terms of screening and films, the Screen Festival's 'Bush Shorts' First Nations program will be co-presented by Winda Film Festival.

Founder and Artistic Director of Winda Film Festival and programmer, Pauline Clague, has curated a celebration of Blak and First Nations storytelling from across the world, including both features and shorts.

The program includes Winner of the Calgary IFF 2022 Audience Choice Award for Music on Screen, Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On; the true story of incredible kindness, Don't Bury Me Without Ivan; and the nuanced exploration of marginalisation in Fancy Dance, starring Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon).

"The features and shorts in the Winda selection highlight diverse and important storytelling at SXSW Sydney, ensuring First Nations and Indigenous stories are at the forefront", Ms Clague said.

When it comes to speakers, the range of talented First Nations creatives presenting spans across a range of business niches including everything from gaming to design.

Arthur Ah Chee will give his opinion on the future of gaming at the "Destination Unknown: Where Will Gaming Go Next" discussion, whilst UTS Creative Director and Associate Dean of Indigenous Leadership, Alsion Page will present a discussion on "The Next 60,000 Years of Design" - specifically focusing on how the future of design is about connecting with country.

First Nations musicians will also have their moment in the spotlight with Mich Tambo, BARKAA and Tasman Keith joining forces to hold an open panel discussion focusing on the challenges and triumphs of building a career within the music industry when identifying as an indigenous individual.

Taking place across multiple Sydney venues, (including ICC Sydney, UTS and The Powerhouse Museum ) with a schedule including more than 400 keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions, SXSW Sydney is set to be a pinnacle event that highlights the talent, flair and skill of our industry's top performing First Nations creatives.

"SXSW is truly a movement bringing together many cultures. When you embrace many cultures and industries you invariably introduce diversity", says proud Badu man (Badulaig) and Baidman Solutions CEO, Jack Reis.

"Bringing together and showcasing the tech, gaming and the creative industries of music and screenplay allows for more ideas, more talent, more skills, and a diversity of perspectives which increases the potential for your desired accomplishments.

"I'm looking forward to experiencing this firsthand at SXSW Sydney 2023."

Bringing together a diverse group of creatives is what the Texas-born festival is inherently renowned and celebrated for.

SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. From looking at this year's line of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian creatives, SXSW Sydney will be again no different.

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