Heartdancers

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Heartdancers

Empowering the world through arts and culture! Heartdancers Charity is based in Sydney, on the Gadigal and Bidjigal lands and waters of the Eora nation.

Recently we have opened our programs on the Guringai land of Central Coast too. We work with a broad range of Schools, Communities, Councils, Organisations and Business across Sydney to deliver accessible and inclusive Arts and Culture programs, workshops and events that celebrate the diversity of our community and cultivate connection, belonging, respect and unity to contribute to Australia's rec

onciliation. We welcome you to walk with us on an uplifting and exciting journey of personal and collective healing through cross-cultural dialogue, education and empowerment through the arts. We create platforms for First Nations, Refugee, Asylum Seeker and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Artists to thrive. We do this by providing them with employment, engagement and capacity building opportunities. Through innovation and design thinking we have created and are implementing the following program:

****Cultures of the World: making culturally diverse arts education, festivals and events accessible for all ages, stages, levels of mobility and walks of life.
****Youth Music Education Programs: aiming to transform the lives of children through music.
****Rhythm Is Life, a customisable and inclusive program transforming lives of older people through the power of dance and culture.

03/06/2026

What if art could change everything? 🧡

Our Founder Sandra Morales sat down with the In My Shoes Compact Youth Program on the Central Coast — and she shared something we deeply believe:

The arts are not decoration. They are survival. They are connection. They are the language every culture already speaks.

Sandra is Colombian-Australian. Before we walked, we danced. Growing up in Colombia — a country shaped by the richness of African, Indigenous and Spanish cultures, and marked by violence and social pain — art was never optional. It was how communities held together. How they survived.

That understanding is the foundation of everything we do at Heartdancers.
We are a 100% First Nations and Woman Led community arts organisation. We go into communities facing racism, violence, and exclusion — and we create together. That is Community Arts and Cultural Development. That is our purpose.

To the young people listening: youth is not the future. Youth IS the present. Embrace your power. Tell your own story.

We don’t perform for communities — we belong to them.

Swipe through to catch the highlights. 👉
🎙 In My Shoes — Compact Youth Program, Central Coast by
📍 Central Coast + Sydney NSW
🎟 heartdancers.org.au

27/05/2026

Some people don’t just join an organisation, they arrive with a lifetime of music, community, and meaning woven into everything they do. 🎸

We are beyond thrilled to welcome Jonathan Nanlohy as our new Cultural Partnerships & Philanthropy Lead.

Jonathan is a bassist, spoken word artist, and a builder of bridges, with 40+ years performing across soul, funk, and multicultural music. He has played with Gambirra Mob, the Sydney World Music Chamber Orchestra, and founded the award-winning ethnic fusion group Heval.

But his gift isn’t only in performance. It lives equally in community.

Over 35 years, Jonathan has worked at the heart of cultural and community development, walking alongside CALD and refugee communities, young people, people with disability, and older Australians. From migrant resource centres to local government to TAFE, he has held the roles of community worker, coordinator, manager, and educator, always guided by one deep belief:

That cultural expression is the foundation of connection, identity, participation, and belonging.

He has spent his life proving it. Now he brings that conviction, and all that experience, to us. 🌍✨

06/05/2026

A chapter closes. A new one begins. And we are full of gratitude. 💛

Eight years ago, Manuel said yes to something he didn’t fully understand. What followed was one of the most devoted, courageous, and quietly extraordinary seasons of leadership this organisation has ever known.

Through COVID. Through growth. Through every hard call and hopeful morning, Manuel showed up. He gave Heartdancers his heart, his time, and his unwavering belief that this work matters.

Manuel, thank you. From every artist, every family, every child whose life has been touched by what you helped build, thank you. You are not leaving. You are evolving. As our new Chief Technology Officer, your commitment to this community continues, and we are so glad. 🙏

And now — we welcome Mamma G. ✨

Gambirra Illume — Yolŋgu woman of the Gumatj Clan from Northeast Arnhem Land, cultural educator, artist, healer, and force of nature, steps into the role of President of Heartdancers Arts & Culture.

27 years of dedicated service. A heart rooted in Country. A vision that reaches far.

Heartdancers is now 100% women-led, guided by First Nations and CALD women. We have never been more ready.

Welcome home to the helm, Mamma G. 🌿
We see you. We are with you. Let’s dance together in Country. 💛

07/04/2026

🎨🥁✨ Introducing: The Art of Us ✨🥁🎨

We are SO excited to launch The Art of Us – Culture, Connection & Wellbeing on the Central Coast! 🌏💛

This is more than a program — it’s a movement. A community-led arts and wellbeing initiative that brings people together through dance, drumming, storytelling, visual arts, and so much more — celebrating our diversity and building belonging for ALL.

We’re kicking things off in partnership with our wonderful friends at 🤝, bringing the magic to their playgroups and connecting with the incredible CALD families in our community.

Our first event is THIS Thursday! 🗓️ 📍 Blue Haven Public School – 37 Colorado Drive, Blue Haven 🕙 10am – 1pm | FREE entry 🎭 Featuring , .da.silva_ & .music

Here’s what’s in store 👇 🎉 10:00am – Doors open + DJ Set 🤡 10:30am – Clowning with Alicia Gonzalez 💃 11:15am – Dance workshop with Marina Da Silva 🥁 12:15pm – Drumming, Sax & Spin with Brazilian percussion + audience participation!

This is a free, all-ages, all-cultures celebration — bring the kids, bring the grandparents, bring everyone! 🌈👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

The Art of Us is for First Nations families, CALD communities, children, seniors, people with disability, and anyone seeking joy and connection through the arts. You belong here. 💜

💙 This program is made possible thanks to through its Community Development Grant Program — investing in the people, cultures, and communities that make the Central Coast such a special place to call home. We are deeply grateful for their support! 🙏

See you there! 🎶

26/03/2026

🌸 Our second Nowruz celebration is almost here — and this one is truly something special.

This Friday at Fairfield Community Centre, we gather again to honour Persian New Year with an immersive performance where ink, music and voice become one.

🎵 .mahya — our beloved tanbur player and ethnomusicologist, Mehya’s ancient strings carry 15 years of devotion to Persian musical heritage. His melodies don’t just fill a room — they open it.
🖌️ — watch as Persian poetry transforms into large-scale calligraphy before your eyes, brushstroke by brushstroke, in perfect conversation with the music around him.
🎤 .sepehr.music — Tehran-born vocalist and multidisciplinary artist, Faezeh joins our CORE family for the first time. Rooted in Sufi tradition and the poetry of Rumi and Hafiz, her voice is a new presence in our community — but one that will feel like it was always meant to be here. 🌙

Where brush meets canvas, where music meets silence, where we become witnesses to something sacred together.

We can’t wait to share this with you. See you Friday. 💫

📍 Fairfield Community Centre
🗓️ Friday — CORE Nowruz Persian New Year

#نوروز

23/03/2026

✨ Harmony Day at Miller Square ✨
📍 Harmony day venue is 36 Woodward Cres, Miller NSW 2168
🗓 Wednesday 25 March
⏰ 10:30am – 1:00pm

Harmony is not just something we celebrate — it’s something we actively build.

At Heartdancers, we believe events like this matter only when they create space for real conversations — about equity, representation, and the ongoing work needed to address racism in our communities.

March 21 is not only known as Harmony Day in Australia. It is also the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, established by the United Nations.
This day calls us to reflect, to listen, and to take action.

Through our Cultural Agency, we’re proud to bring three powerful cultural educators and artists to our long-standing partners CORE Community Services — artists whose work embodies storytelling, resistance, identity and connection:

🖤 10:45am – First Nations Performance
Gumaroy Newman (Gamilaroi & Wakka Wakka)
Yidaki player, poet and cultural educator sharing deep knowledge, song and connection to Country.

✨ 11:30am – Belly Dance Performance
Ena
Blending Egyptian and Indian traditions, her work celebrates culture, femininity and community through movement.

🔥 11:40am – African Dance Performance

Ghanaian-born choreographer whose work explores identity, culture and social justice through contemporary African dance.

We gather not just to celebrate diversity — but to acknowledge truth, hold space, and move towards real harmony through action.

Come join the conversation.

18/03/2026

🌸 Nowruz Mubarak 🌸

Persian art is resistance. It is beauty. It is light.

This Saturday, Cumberland City Council celebrates Nowruz — the Persian New Year — holding space for the beauty, resilience and depth of Persian culture through art.

We hold this celebration with deep love and awareness of the pain the Persian community is carrying right now. Art is how we grieve, resist, and find light together. 🕊️

Through our Cultural Agency, we are proud to bring two extraordinary acts carrying the richness of an ancient culture in their hearts:

✍🏽 Reza Taghipour — Live Persian Calligraphy
Live contemporary Persian calligraphy — where a millennia-old tradition meets contemporary cross-cultural expression.
⏰ 5:45pm

🎵 Avaye Rood — “Toward the Light”
A 4-piece Persian fusion ensemble weaving the voices of Rumi and Hafez with contemporary intercultural sound.
⏰ 6:10pm

📍 Cumberland City Council Nowruz Street Festival
🗓 Saturday 21st March — Merryland Road, Merrylands
⏰ Doors from 5:30pm — Free entry

Come to celebrate, to listen, to connect. 🕊️✨

06/03/2026

Happy IWD!! Thank you CORE Community Services for having us

03/03/2026

Participation transformed into meaningful cultural expression.🌿✨

This International Women’s Day, we are proud to present a performance that embodies the core of what we do at our Cultural Agency. We work alongside First Nations and culturally diverse communities to co-design spaces where art meets local priorities.

Meet the Artists:

✨ Sophia Ndaba: A graduate of WAAPA and The McDonald College, Sophia is a Zulu-Australian contemporary dancer whose credits span from Opera Australia to global tours with DJ Bobo. She is a choreographer, a director, and a storyteller of the highest caliber.

✨ The Marina Da Silva Ensemble: A rare and powerful offering of Brazilian and Latin excellence. Led by the commanding presence of Marina Da Silva, this all-female group honours women’s artistry and cultural heritage through the universal language of rhythm.Join us as we celebrate the strength, creativity, and shared histories of women across.

19/02/2026

✨ What a joy it was to bring our Artistry on Wheels pop-up stage to the Coast! 🌟

We had the pleasure of curating a diverse lineup of incredible local CALD artists, showcasing the richness and creativity of our vibrant community. From mesmerising performances to heart-filled moments, this event truly celebrated the power of connection, culture, and artistic expression.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, supported, and shared in the magic — and to Love Lanes for capturing these beautiful moments! 💛

Address

Sydney, NSW

Telephone

+61 449954065

Website

http://www.heartdancers.org.au/

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