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:

Annual Academy Lecture, Signing Ceremony & Reception
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. Bookings are essential.

This event will be followed by the Fellows Signing Ceremony, and a catered reception. Find out more here.

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 website).

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, and the University of Sydney.

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