Curations
A Rising Tide | Young Artistic Directorate

A Rising Tide is a leadership and curatorial development program, initiated in partnership by Next Wave and VicHealth and involving four early-career practitioners, Banda, Matisse Laida, MaggZ, and Lydia Tesema—collectively known as the Young Artistic Directorate. A Rising Tide encourages experimentation and risk-taking in curating, community building and culture-making, and is guided by Next Wave’s Young Creative Lead, Nickila De Silva. A Rising Tide emerged in response to a sector need for mentorship and capacity building for early-career artists and community organisers. This includes learning how to advocate—as an early-career practitioner—for accessible, culturally safe, and ethical working conditions, and how to navigate presumptions about young people that can negatively impact early-career participation and engagement in the arts.

As a convener, Next Wave—whose values are grounded in justice, friendship, and care—supports this through several methods: intergenerational and transdisciplinary collaborations, long-form and intersectional relationship building, and exploring experimental practice. Sometimes this looks like sharing food, hanging out and making art together. As an inaugural program, A Rising Tide taps into Next Wave’s commitment to support a world shaped by artists, and its forty-year history as a launch pad for early-career practitioners.

Videography by Sam Morton
Photography and Set Design by Tallulah