The Humanities & Creative Practice

Join us in Sydney — and online — from 13 to 14 November 2025 for the 56th Annual Academy Symposium, as we turn a humanities lens on the vital role of creative practice in Australian social, cultural and economic life.

Audiences for creative practices — from the arts to gaming — have never been larger. Cities, cultural institutions, and businesses are embracing innovative approaches, drawing on the insights and formats created through the increasing interaction of the humanities with creative practices.

Today, many areas of cultural production — including design, animation, and film — are being reimagined through interdisciplinary approaches of both the humanities and creative practice. Both domains interrogate and activate histories and narratives, generating new experiences and environments, and ways of understanding the world.

In doing so, they help shape a richer, more diverse, and more imaginative physical, mental, and spiritual landscape.

This Symposium will be of interest to Fellows, scholars of humanities and/or creative practice, as well as stakeholders in government, education, peak bodies, industry, media and the community.

Convened by Distinguished Professor Peter McNeil FAHA, with the support of a diverse convening committee, the Symposium will highlight the diversity and critical importance of creative practice, while engaging with humanities perspectives on Australian social, cultural, and economic life.

Panel themes include:

Design, performance and cultural resilience
HASS-STEM conversations: Health, wellness and science meet creative design
Technology, industry, and the Humanities/creative and communication arts
The new museology and viewing publics
First Nations arts, design & literature
Research, records, responsibilities
Difficult art and cancel culture
Art and humanities challenges and the future

The Symposium is delivered in partnership with University of Technology Sydney.

Return to Symposium Website

Fellows Discount

A discount code applies to ticket sales for Fellows of the AAH — log into the Fellows Area to view the discount code.

Additional Events:

Follow the Creek
Walk: an interactive place-activation project exploring the water narratives of the UTS precinct.
Event Date: 3.45-5.15pm (AEDT), Wednesday 12 November 2025
Meeting place: Chau Chak Wing Auditorium, Business School, Building 8, UTS campus (14–28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo)
Registration: This is a free event. Bookings are essential (this will take you to a new webpage).

Fellows Signing Ceremony
Event Date: 4.30-5.30pm (AEDT), Wednesday 12 November 2025
Venue: Chau Chak Wing Auditorium, Business School, Building 8, UTS campus (14–28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo)
Registration: This is a free event. Bookings are essential (this will take you to a new webpage).
This event will be followed by the Academy Lecture.

Annual Academy Lecture
When Universities Mattered
Event Date: 5.30-6.30pm (AEDT), Wednesday 12 November 2025
Venue: Chau Chak Wing Auditorium, Business School, Building 8, UTS campus (14–28 Ultimo Road, Ultimo)
Registration: This is a free event. The event is fully booked, join the waitlist here (this will take you to a new webpage).
This event will be followed by a reception.

LUNCHTIME ACTIVITY: "Spirits of the Hoey": Resurrecting a Lost Cultural Hub Through Immersive Technology
Event date: Symposium lunch times - Thursday 13 November, 12.30-1.30pm and Friday 14 November, 12.30-1.30pm
Event venue: Meeting point at the Chau Chak Wing Auditorium, The group will grab lunch and walk across to the UTS Data Arena [15 minute walk].
Registration: Places are limited – click through to 'get tickets' to register for free

Hancock Lecture: Professor Alison Page
Design as an act of (Blak) Power
Event Date: 4.00-5.00PM, Thursday 13 November 2025
Venue: Chau Chak Wing Auditorium, (Building CB08), UTS Platform 14/28 Ultimo Rd, Ultimo
Registration: To book for this event only click here (this will take you to a new webpage).

Annual Academy Dinner
Event Date: 6.00PM, 13 November 2025
Venue: The Tea Room, Level 3 Queen Victoria Building, 455 George Street, Sydney

Our Symposium is open to all and brings together a large cross-section of Fellows, scholars, early-career researchers and representatives from government, education, peak bodies, industry, media and the community.

Diversity & equity at our events

Sponsors
The Academy acknowledges the generous sponsorship and support of our Principal Sponsor, the University of Technology Sydney.

We also acknowledge and thank the generous sponsorship of our Associate Sponsors: the Australian National University, UNSW, the University of Sydney, The Australian Centre for Public History, UTS and the Australian Research Data Commons.

Image credit:
Grace Lillian Lee Belonging 3 2021-22 from the series Belonging (detail), Art Gallery of New South Wals, commissioned with funds provided by the Aboriginal Art Collection Benefactors 2021
© Grace Lillian Lee, image © Art Gallery of New South Wales

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