Whosoever knoweth the power of the dance, dwelleth in God.

Heartdancers is a non-profit community arts organisation dedicated to creating a cultural landscape that celebrates and reflects the diversity that defines us. Our mission is rooted in creating art that explores our identity as migrants on Indigenous land and fosters intercultural understanding. For over a decade, we have been committed to building a lasting framework of accessible, world-class arts and cultural programs that champion education, income generation, diversity and inclusion, health and wellbeing, and sustainability.

Heartdancers operates at the crossroads of contemporary multidisciplinary arts, community arts, and cultural development. We work across intercultural, interdisciplinary, and emerging art forms, with a focus on empowering First Nations and culturally diverse artists and communities. 

Engaging with communities across the Central Coast, Sydney, and Newcastle, we shape a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable cultural landscape that resonates with the richness of its diversity. To date, Heartdancers has provided over $828,261 in income and development opportunities to more than 300 First Nations artists, artists from non-English speaking backgrounds, from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and those from CALD backgrounds who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, along with cultural educators. Through accessible arts programs, workshops, and events, we have engaged over 80,000 people of all ages, cultivating connection, belonging, respect, and unity

Our Unique Role

As the only arts organisation on the Central Coast, Hunter and Newcastle region solely focused on CALD artists and First Nations collaboration, Heartdancers advocates for diversity as a vital cultural asset. We drive sector transformation by challenging the marginalisation of diverse artistic voices and prioritising intercultural collaboration. Through our programs, we create opportunities for artistic development, community capacity-building, and authentic representation for critically underrepresented artists. While other organisations may include diverse artists in their programming, none are as focused on CaLD representation as Heartdancers. Our commitment to equity, self-determination, and diverse cultural expression is unparalleled in the area.

Responding to Emerging Community Needs

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic brought profound shifts in our region, with many artists and diverse communities relocating from Sydney to the Central Coast due to financial pressures. This migration has catalysed the emergence of a thriving community of CaLD artists. In extensive consultations with the Central Coast Arts and Culture team, local organisations, and artists, we identified the pressing need for resources, capacity-building, and culturally appropriate support for CaLD artists who often lack visibility in regional programs. This feedback underscored a gap: few local events reflect the true diversity of the region, forcing artists to travel to Sydney or Newcastle for opportunities.

To address these needs, we have relocated our headquarters to the Central Coast, making it our strategic priority to expand our programs here over the next five years. Leveraging a decade of experience championing CaLD and First Nations artists and our strong partnerships in Sydney and Newcastle, we are committed to deepening our impact across the Central Coast, Hunter, and Newcastle regions.

Who We Are

• First Nations First: We prioritise First Nations voices, creating partnerships with culturally diverse artists to develop equitable, self-determined cultural systems.
• Our art challenges racism and intolerance, resisting forces that threaten pluralism.
• We create art to understand ourselves as migrants on Indigenous land and to champion the ongoing work needed to secure an inclusive future.

Our Values

• Diversity: We centre non-Western perspectives to illuminate shared humanity and deepen intercultural understanding.
• Equality: We build platforms for cultural democracy, sharing knowledge across the arts sector to enhance engagement and visibility.
• Trust: We bridge migrant and Indigenous narratives, creating art that fosters shared understanding.
• Courage: We shine a light on the ongoing work essential to preserving our identity as a society that values diversity.

Our Goals

• To cultivate artists and art practices that reflect Australian identity, embedding diversity as core to artistic innovation.
• To build a compelling case for diversity as a cultural cornerstone, producing influential new work.
• To lead sector transformation, decentralising arts access so established and emerging artists thrive regionally, making arts and culture accessible to all, regardless of location and economical backgrounds.
• To establish the arts and culture as a vital force for social and economic development, equity, belonging, and cultural understanding.

Vision

We envision an Australia where the arts drive social change, powered by diverse voices from both urban and regional communities, shaping a thriving, inclusive, and resilient cultural landscape. Through multidisciplinary, cross-cultural art, we seek to unify communities across NSW, inspire pride in our shared diversity, and establish the arts and culture as a vital force for social and economic development, equity, belonging, and cultural understanding.

Mission

Heartdancers empowers First Nations, culturally diverse, and regional artists to create transformative, multidisciplinary, cross-cultural art that celebrates the diversity that defines us. Our mission is rooted in fostering intercultural understanding and exploring our shared identities as migrants on Indigenous land. By supporting contemporary, multidisciplinary artistic expression, we aim to drive social impact, build community, and contribute to an inclusive arts and cultural landscape that honours both Indigenous heritage and multicultural Australia.