From 27 May to 3 June, National Reconciliation Week returns with a theme that doesn’t sit quietly. All In is a call to step forward – to listen, learn and be part of the ongoing work of reconciliation.
Maybe you start with a dance.
Or a song that sits in your chest a little longer than expected.
Or an artwork that quietly rearranges something in your thinking.
Across Sydney, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are opening up space for story, sound and movement.
Some are loud. Some are gentle. All of them are invitations.
Share something: gathering, reflection and making
Begin in Parramatta, on Dharug Country, where National Sorry Day brings people together to honour the Stolen Generations and reflect on the weight of that history. Held at Dharug Circle in Parramatta Square, the day unfolds through ceremony with a smoking ceremony and words from Knowledge Holders speaking to strength, survival and truth-telling before opening into free, hands-on workshops in art, weaving and dance.
Over at Sydney Opera House, the Saltbush & Starlight experience brings people together with a guided tour followed by a show-stopping three-course dinner from First Nations chef Mark Olive in one of the House's gorgeous hidden spaces.
Be moved: dance, music and live performance
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Sheltering unfolds across a bold triple bill grounded in Country, shaped by story and carried by extraordinary physicality. It’s dance that stays with you.
As night falls, the city shifts gear. Vivid Sydney spills music and ideas across the harbour, with First Nations voices woven throughout. From the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Sea Gathering: Myth & Modernity with Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson to live sets like Zipporah and Mi-kaisha, the program moves between intimate and expansive – sometimes in the same night.
And at Carriageworks, the Awesome Black Block Party brings pure energy with a one-night outdoor celebration of Blak music, Culture and community.
Step inside: visual art and ideas
Some stories ask you to slow down.
In Redfern, Picking Up the Pieces: First Nations History Tour invites you onto The Block to walk through history with those who carry it. Led by Aunty Donna Ingram and artist Dennis Golding, it’s part tour, part conversation – and something that settles in long after.
Inside galleries, the week opens up further. At the Art Gallery of NSW, the Yiribana Gallery holds one of the country’s most significant collections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art
And across the Biennale of Sydney, explore the works of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists at various venues including Gunybi Ganambarr, Warraba Weatherall, Nancy Yukuwal McDinny, Vernon Ah Kee and more.
Keep going
If you’re looking for more ways to take part, there’s plenty more to discover.
Head to the National Reconciliation Week website to explore events happening across the country.
If you’re keen to lend your voice, Voices for Reconciliation invites people everywhere to join in song with a recording of Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil, a track inspired by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta handback to the Anangu people in 1985.
Start somewhere and see what happens when you go All In.