We’ve been making a lot of noise recently about the negative impact that AI is having on our arts sector, particularly on creatives, so it was good to see our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese making an unequivocal statement on AI and copyright in a speech at the University of Sydney earlier this month: “No company should use Australian books, music, art or news to build or train AI without the artist’s control, and that includes the artist’s control of the price and value of their work.”
This came hot on the heels of a thinly veiled threat to the rights of our creatives by AI company Anthropic, all while dangling a carrot in front of the Australian Government worth tens of billions of dollars in investment. According to the Treasury briefing obtained under FOI, “Anthropic argued it could negotiate with major rights holders, but identifying and purchasing licences from a ‘long tail’ of smaller owners was too difficult.” Companies like Anthropic created this “problem”; why isn’t the onus on them to come up with a fair and equitable model that works for all copyright holders? Read more in this ABC News report.
While all of this is happening, it’s also really tough for arts organisations applying for local government grants. “In one funding category, some 140 organisations and creatives applied for projects valued at $4.7 million, ranging from music concerts to poetry readings to street and art activations. Only five projects were funded by the City of Sydney, for a total of $127,000.” – from an SMH article this month, which quotes Ensemble Offspring’s Claire Edwardes.
Getting off our high horse, our latest update is of course all about what’s coming up for our arts partners, and how you can redeem your vouchers to take advantage of the latest in art, film, music and theatre. Please read on!
We know it’s still months away, but now is a good time to start thinking about Christmas gifts for your staff and clients! We can also provide personal gifts for your family and friends (for a minimum order of 10 vouchers). Contact us to find out more about our voucher program and how you can order your culture vouchers: givingculture.com.au/contact. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn for other updates and posts on what’s happening at Giving Culture, and in the arts and culture scene in Australia.
The Australian World Orchestra
(Pictured l-r: Daniel Dodds, Concertmaster: Symphony No. 10, Artistic Director and Leader – Festival Strings Lucerne; Natalie Chee, Concertmaster: Petrushka, Songs for the Stranger, 1st Concertmaster – Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; Former 1st Concertmaster – Gürzenich Orchestra; Lyndon Watts, Professor of Bassoon – Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne)
The Australian World Orchestra celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2026 with a program honouring the past, present and future of music. Conducted by Alexander Briger, the anniversary performance features Stravinsky’s Petrushka, the world premiere of Jonathan Mills’ newly commissioned Songs for the Stranger, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.
This year’s orchestra brings together 93 musicians from 54 ensembles around the world, reflecting the extraordinary international reach of Australian musical talent. The orchestra includes musicians from 38 international ensembles and 16 Australian ensembles. Fifty musicians are travelling from across Australia, alongside 13 from Germany, nine from the United Kingdom, five from New Zealand, three each from Austria and Hong Kong, two each from Switzerland, the United States and Belgium, and one each from Norway, Israel, South Korea and the Netherlands.
Founded on the conviction that Australian musicians are among the finest in the world, the AWO brings them home to spend one week united on stage. Since its inception, the AWO has become one of Australia’s most distinctive cultural institutions, becoming the first Australian orchestra to collaborate with maestros Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti. It has toured India and the United Kingdom, including an appearance at the BBC Proms. The first and only orchestra of its kind, no other ensemble draws together such a breadth of Australian-international experience, making the orchestra a powerful reflection of Australia’s diverse cultural identity and its place on the world stage.
TWO NIGHTS ONLY – redeem your Gold or Silver Voucher and book now!
Incognito Art Show
The Incognito Art Show is a sale of thousands of original artworks — every single one a one-of-one, every single one just $100.
The twist: the artists are anonymous until you’ve bought. You choose with your eye, not the name. It’s the best way to start or grow your collection at a great price.
A fresh collection of over 10,000 original artworks is about to go on sale in Brisbane this Sunday 26 July at 6pm, and you’re getting a first look before it opens.
Browse the collection now and build your wishlist. The moment the sale opens, you’ll know exactly which pieces to grab before someone else does.
In preparation for the Brisbane show, redeem now for an Incognito Art Show – Gold Voucher or an Incognito Art Show – Silver Voucher.
Ensemble Offspring
A one-off opportunity to see the return of Ensemble Offspring’s Lone Hemispheres at Carriageworks in Eveleigh on Saturday 1 August at 1pm! Experience a rare sonic universe where solos and electronics fuse in real time. Featuring Jason Noble, Lamorna Nightingale, Claire Edwardes and Véronique Serret, the program traces a sonic lineage from the pioneering Fairlight CMI to contemporary tools including Ableton Live and Max/MSP.
Lone Hemispheres takes audiences on a journey deep within the chamber music universe, drawing from the radical imagination of the European avant-garde and the distinctive voices of contemporary Australian composers. The works to be performed are: Mauricio Kagel – Schattenklänge: II. Presto (bass clarinet); Connor d’Netto – Some kinda way: part 3 (through) (clarinet + electronics); Martin Wesley-Smith – For Marimba & Tape; Kaija Saariaho – Noa Noa (flute + electronics); Christos Hatzis – Fertility Rites (movt 1) (marimba + electronics); Tristan Coelho – Daybreak (flute + electronics); Kate Moore – Synaesthesia Suite (violin + electronics).
Redeem your silver voucher now for two tickets for this “timeless and surreal” (ArtsHub) Ensemble Offspring program.
Sydney Film Festival
Some of the biggest hits of Sydney Film Festival 2026 are coming to regional cinemas all over NSW this August and September. The program has just been announced – including Palme d’Or winner Fjord, audience sensation Whistle, and Sydney Film Prize winner Minotaur and much more!
The Travelling Film Festival will arrive first at Newcastle and Coffs Harbour from 7-9 August, before travelling to Warrawong, Tamworth, Orange, Mount Victoria, Wagga Wagga, Huskisson and Lismore.
Our gift vouchers can be put towards TFF tickets – check out our SFF packages here.
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
MCO’s much-loved festival, A Feast of Music, returns to the picturesque Victorian country town of Daylesford from 11–13 September. A Feast of Music is a celebration of the connections that draw us together through music. Across four concerts and a dinner at The Convent, MCO traces threads of inspiration, friendship and discovery, bringing together beloved masterpieces, folk influences and contemporary voices. Guest artists Genevieve Lacey and Neal Peres Da Costa weave their magical musicianship through the weekend.
Individual concert tickets go on sale from 14 August, but you can put your Gold or Silver vouchers towards either the full festival package or concert package now!
Australian Theatre for Young People
ATYP’s production of Saplings is touring nationally. The play, which premiered at the 2024 Sydney Festival and won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Production for Young People, was written by Yuwaalaray playwright Hannah Belanszky and directed by Kalkadoon Abbie-lee Lewis. Four talented young actors (Talijah Blackman-Corowa, Maliyan Blair, Sam Harmon and Danny Howard) take on multiple roles in this collection of hilarious and heartbreaking stories born from workshops with young people experiencing the youth justice system, from Marrickville to Moree.
Upcoming performances from July to September are in Melbourne, Darwin, Hobart, Bathurst, Queanbeyan, Penrith, Bairnsdale and Warrnambool.
Contact us at info@givingculture.com.au or on (02) 4872 4981 to find out how you can redeem your gold or silver voucher for credit towards tickets for Saplings.
Australian Chamber Orchestra
From Winter’s Stillness, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane from 25 July – 9 August
Directed by Richard Tognetti, the Australian Chamber Orchestra is joined by Nordic jazz visionary Arve Henriksen and vocal phenomenon Trio Mediæval in a luminous meeting of voices, textures and feeling. Featuring the music of Sigur Rós and a world premiere by Oscar and Grammy-award-winning Hildur Guðnadóttir (Tar, Chernobyl, Joker), alongside ancient Nordic hymns, this promises to be an unmissable concert experience.
Redeem either an ACO – Gold Voucher or ACO – Silver Voucher to put towards tickets to ACO’s groundbreaking national tour.