Semi Permanent Sydney 2023 (AU)

31 May — 02 June 2023
Carriageworks

Semi Permanent Festival of Creativity & Design will return to Carriageworks as part of Vivid Sydney 2023, from 31st May through 2nd June 2023. Now in its 21st year, Semi Permanent will again bring together the creative industries from across Asia Pacific for three full days of inspiring keynote talks, panel discussions, workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations, installations, and more.

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Talk∙ 4:45 PM
Liam Young
Renowned director and architect Liam Young will launch his new project The Great Endeavour at Semi Permanent: a speculative proposal to create a planetary-wide network of carbon capture machines that will become our generation’s moon landing.
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Talk∙ 4:00 PM
Sinéad Burke — Tilting the Lens
Is this accessible? It’s a question that Irish writer, academic and disability activist Sinéad Burke asks a lot. At her first talk in Sydney, Sinéad will discuss who we are not designing for, and unpack strategies for the industry to be more inclusive.
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Experience
Define Your Purpose
From feminism to First Nations, sustainability to accessibility, Semi Permanent is about more than buzzwords. Discover how you can build greater purpose into your creative practice by learning from culture-leading experts.
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Talk∙ 2:30 PM
Bijan Berahimi — FISK
One of the most exciting names in design today is Iranian-American Bijan Berahimi of Portland-based FISK, which has completely upended the agency model with a community-focused business that’s equal parts gallery, store, and creative collaborator.
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Talk∙ 3:30 PM
Mona Chalabi
Using words, colour and sound, Mona Chalabi rehumanises data to better help us understand our world and the way we live in it. In her first appearance in Australia, the Data Editor of The Guardian will show how we can remove the ‘numb’ from numbers.
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Experience
Expand Your Network
At Semi Permanent, the most important person is the one next to you. You’ll have the chance to connect with 5000 likeminded creative leaders and innovators from across Asia Pacific, providing a unique opportunity to grow your network and build community.
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Talk∙ 10:10 AM
Seb Chan — ACMI
As director of ACMI Seb was integral to its $40 million renewal which shaped it into an award-winning, multi-platform museum. He will draw on his digital transformation expertise to reveal how companies can bridge digital and physical customer experiences.
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Talk∙ 9:45 AM
Mikaela Jade — Indigital
The founder of Indigenous edu-tech company, Indigital, seeks to develop innovative ways to digitise and translate knowledge and culture from remote and ancient communities, exploring how it applies to the future of business through the metaverse and Web3.
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Experience
Learn How Creativity Drives Commerce
The speakers on stage represent or have collaborated with companies including Nike, Facebook, The New York Times, Microsoft, HBO, National Geographic and Apple. Learn from them how business strategy can be framed through creative thinking.

Speakers & Artists

Bijan Berahimi, FISK — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

VICE Australia & New Zealand — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Christopher Doyle — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Filipe Carvalho — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

James McManus — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Jordy van den Nieuwendijk — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Josie Rozenburg-Clarke — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Josh Brown, Societal — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Marli Eadon-Blanche — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Pedestrian Group — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Maya Brasnovic — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Megha Kapoor, Vogue India — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Mikaela Jade — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Mikaela Stafford — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Mona Chalabi — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Namila Benson — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Samuel Leighton-Dore — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Sinéad Burke — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

wani toaishara — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Zahra Campbell — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Schedule (Local Times)

31 May

Wednesday

01 Jun

Thursday

02 Jun

Friday

Carriageworks

9:00 AM
Doors Open
9:50 AM
Acknowledgement of Country & Opening Titles
9:55 AM
Experience ∙ 10 minutes
Breathwork Session with Rory Warnock presented by Ārepa
Join Performance & Wellness Coach Rory Warnock for a guided breathwork session.
10:10 AM
Talk ∙ 40 minutes
Seb Chan — ACMI
Merging physical and digital experiences with the director of Australia’s multi-award-winning, multi-platform museum of moving image.
10:50 AM
Talk ∙ 40 minutes
Filipe Carvalho
The Portuguese Emmy Award-winning designer and director of HBO, FX and A24 on bringing together good ideas and good visuals.  
11:30 AM
Panel ∙ 30 minutes
Christopher Doyle & Gabby Lord
To mark the 10th year of Christopher Doyle & Co., its founder joins his first hire, Gabby Lord, to unpack the challenges and opportunities that come with running your own studio and the power and importance of generosity and vulnerability in design.
12:00 PM
Break
1:00 PM
Talk ∙ 30 minutes
Samuel Leighton-Dore
The artist, illustrator and screenwriter will discuss his creative process and storytelling across mediums.
1:30 PM
Talk ∙ 30 minutes
Mikaela Stafford
From render to reality, Mikaela discusses the projects that have evolved from digital beginnings to IRL experiences.
2:00 PM
Talk ∙ 30 minutes
Chris Yee
On the unique character of the Asian-Australian creative community and the power of storytelling.
2:30 PM
Talk ∙ 30 minutes
Jazz Money
Exploring the stories that we tell to construct national and personal identity with poet and artist Jazz Money.
3:00 PM
Break
3:30 PM
Talk ∙ 1 hour
Mona Chalabi
In her first appearance in Australia, the Data Editor of The Guardian’s US bureau will show how we can remove the ‘numb’ from numbers.
4:30 PM
Panel ∙ 1 hour
Getting it Done — presented by VICE and Refinery29
The custodians of publishing powerhouses VICE and Refinery29 discuss launching, and relaunching, legacy brands for Gen-Z, and the value of fast, distinctly Australian content strategies and design identities to balance counterculture in a commercial world.

Tickets

31 May — 02 June 2023
Carriageworks

Full Festival Ticket

Be inspired by the talent on stage at Semi Permanent. Our talks and workshops are renowned for being inspiring and engaging while highly transferable regardless of discipline or craft. And at our festival, no two speakers are alike.

Full Festival Ticket includes:

Access to all ticketed events, including two days of the main stage talks programs (Thursday 1 & Friday 2 June, Carriageworks);
Full Festival Ticketholders will have priority access to Semi Permanent workshops
(to be held Wednesday 31 May, Paramount House Hotel) — capacity is limited and attendance is via registration, with more details to be announced soon;
Semi Permanent 2023 tote bag;
The SP Insights Paper: a highly detailed and engaging
digital whitepaper comprising insights, research and trend forecasting across the creative industries, with contributions from festival speakers, industry experts, and the Semi Permanent editorial team.
Note: the SP Insights Paper is distributed to ticket-holders post-festival.

For all ticketing enquiries, contact tania@semipermanent.com

Single Day Ticket

Time poor? Dip in for just one of our two days of main stage talks programs and recharge your creative engine with our program of keynote talks and panel discussions by world-class leaders across a breadth of creative disciplines.

Single Day Ticket includes:

Access to one day of ticketed events (Thursday 1 or Friday 2 June, Carriageworks);
Semi Permanent 2023 tote bag;
The SP Insights Paper: a highly detailed and engaging digital whitepaper comprising insights, research and trend forecasting across the creative industries, with contributions from festival speakers, industry experts, and the Semi Permanent editorial team.
Note: the SP Insights Paper is distributed to ticket-holders post-festival.

For all ticketing enquiries, contact tania@semipermanent.com

Platinum Pass

For the very first time, we’re introducing a ticket like no other. Elevate your festival experience with our inaugural Platinum Pass — an all-access ticket that comes with a host of special inclusions.

Platinum Pass includes:

Access to three days of ticketed events, including two days of the main stage talks programs
(Thursday 1 & Friday 2 June, Carriageworks) and one full day of interactive workshops
(31 May, Paramount House Hotel);
Semi Permanent 2023 tote bag;
The SP Insights Paper: a highly detailed and engaging digital whitepaper comprising insights, research and trend forecasting across the creative industries, with contributions from festival speakers, industry experts, and the Semi Permanent editorial team.
Note: the SP Insights Paper is distributed to ticket-holders post-festival.
3 x nights accommodation at Paramount House Hotel;
Dinner at Poly, Surry Hills for you and a guest with the team from Semi Permanent;
Daily car transfers between the festival and hotel;
Lunch and refreshments provided on-site during the festival.
Exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities with festival talent.

For all ticketing enquiries, contact tania@semipermanent.com

Information

Carriageworks is the largest multi-arts center in Australia.
Carriageworks commissions Australian and International artists to make monumental new work that intersects with contemporary ideas. Reflecting the diverse communities of urban Sydney, our artist-led program is ambitious, radical and always inclusive.
Carriageworks was built between 1880 and 1889 as part of the Eveleigh Railway Workshops. By the 1900s several thousand people worked here, building and maintaining locomotive engines and carriages for the expanding rail network. Those workers shaped the development of our city for over 100 years.
The Carriageworks site was one of the first places to employ Aboriginal people on an equal basis. It is also the place where generations of new migrants were first employed. In 1917, it was within these walls that the Great Strike started, which saw thousands of workers march on NSW Parliament and, through sheer power in numbers, shut it down.
In 2007, the site was redeveloped as a cultural precinct. Today, Carriageworks is the most significant multi-arts centre in Australia.
Carriageworks is wheelchair accessible. An access ramp leading to the main entrance is located at street level at 245 Wilson Street.
Accessible parking is available at the end of Carriageworks Way. Enter via 229 Wilson Street.
Taxis can enter at 229 Wilson Street for level-access entry.
The closest train station with wheelchair access is Newtown Station.
The Carriageworks car park includes four mobility parking spaces.
Accessible toilets are located off the public space within the main building.
Service animals are welcome throughout the precinct.

Partners

WSU Academy — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

SAE Creative Media Institute — Semi Permanent Sydney 2023

Highlights

Speakers & Artists

Schedule (Local Times)

Legacy Brands, Fresh Perspectives: A Design Evolution Workshop, presented by Refinery29 & PEDESTRIAN.TV

The Business of Design, with Bijan Berahimi & Evi. O

Cultivating Your Creative Flow State, presented by Squarespace & Societal

Doors Open

Welcome to Country & Opening Titles

Break

Break

Break

Doors Open

Acknowledgement of Country & Opening Titles

Breathwork Session with Rory Warnock presented by Ārepa

Christopher Doyle & Gabby Lord

Break

Break

Mona Chalabi

Getting it Done — presented by VICE and Refinery29

Tickets

31 May — 02 June 2023Carriageworks

Full Festival Ticket

Single Day Ticket

Platinum Pass

Information

The Venue

Accessibility

Partners

31 May — 02 June 2023
Carriageworks