Live Art 2026: Sense

Murtala in Gelambang Raya

It’s difficult to know why or where we are at in 2026 in a time of wars, inequality, racism, fascism, social injustice, environmental catastrophe and AI obliterating the need for human art.

With a veil of hope I had the privilege of working on Sydney Festival 2026 first with Jannawi Dance Clan on GARRIGARRANG BADU (Saltwater Freshwater) with Peta Strachan and Nigel Jamison presenting Dharug women’s stories for the first time at Sydney Opera House. Second show was SISA-SISA at Bankstown Arts Centre with the founders of Suara Dance (Alfira O’Sullivan and Murtala - Indonesia/Australia), a double bill on the difficulties of working as a woman in the arts (Jacek & Bisik - translating to Footsteps whispered) and Murtala’s biographical piece on the 2007 Aceh Tsunami (Gelambang Raya - Great wave).

Alfira O'Sullivan in Jacek & Bisik

Festivals promote the image of fun and celebration but with restrictive budgets, artists often lose money to make work for festivals. To push into 70 hour weeks means artists take responsibility for cultural significance and implications of their work, knowing a mainstream audience paying $70 per ticket takes it for granted that the work is finished. The value of art is in sophistication and depth of knowledge and artists need at least five to nine weeks to develop and premiere first works in progress. Artists have to consider complex collaborative dynamics between people, politics and time, especially if its a work in a festival, especially if its the debut of a project with large concepts. Making good work isn’t just about coming up with and making a great idea beautifully. The real work is in weeks of debate and consideration of the myriad options which present themselves once concepts start to evolve. While artists struggle to survive in the meantime. Experimenting, evaluating, revisiting and broadening the scope of both the investigation and the emergence of original outcomes. Then there is working within the resources available. The basic realisation there is so much to learn and so little time.

Conscious not to neglect one’s body working overtime for the necessity of art. Keep on moving, flowing.