Bankstown Arts Centre (BAC) is a vibrant contemporary multi-arts organisation that advocates for diverse and accessible art.
Bankstown Art Centre sits on the Cabrogal land of the Darug Nation. We respectfully acknowledge the people of the Darug and Eora Nations, who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand, and whose cultures and customs have nurtured and continue to nurture this land. For more information on the Aboriginal history and places of significance in the Canterbury Bankstown area, visit council's cultural services page here.
Our artistic philosophy
Bankstown Arts Centre (BAC) is a vibrant contemporary multi-arts organisation that advocates for diverse and accessible art with a strong focus on Canterbury-Bankstown, Western Sydney, First Nations and CALD artists.
Embedded in community, our projects connect people and address critical issues of our time. We champion experimental art practices for generative social impact.
Centred on the twin pillars of social practice and placemaking, BAC develops and presents engaging multi-platform art experiences and stories that are local, global and interconnected. Core to our artistic vision is an innovative transdisciplinary, transcultural and transmedial curatorial framework.
Our creative programming is anchored in visual arts with hybrid elements. It will extend to include curated presentations of music, dance and literary events and intersect art with design, science and technology.
We invite cross-sector collaborations from Western Sydney and beyond that will give our visitors an immersive art experience.
Resident organisations at Bankstown Arts Centre include Urban Theatre Projects (Utp), Outloud, Bankstown Art Society, Bankstown and District Lapidary Club Inc. and Bankstown Theatre Company.
Utp (Urban Theatre Projects) is leading a not so quiet revolution of art that is socially responsive, inclusive and that reflects the diverse nation we live in. We lead from the lands of the Darug people and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.
Utp is a unique commissioning and producing organisation. We make long-term investments in collaborations with artists and/or communities from outside the dominant culture to give from to extraordinary ideas. We produce a year-round program of performance, dance, visual art, learning and community-led projects, unlike anything you have seen before.
Our curatorial model ensures projects are self-determined by artists and/or communities giving rise to truly artist/community led projects. We are committed to offering access-for-all to brilliant ideas, unusual experiences and critical thinking.
For more information regarding Utp's programming, visit their website.
Nancy Dennis, artist in residence 2019, photo by Kris Savic
The Bankstown Art Society is a membership organisation at the Arts Centre. It is a brilliant society which offers classes in painting and drawing for children, adults and more. As one of the oldest art societies in Sydney – founded in 1958 – it does a fantastic job of engaging people at all levels with creative pastimes. In fact, there are currently over 200 members!
Activities include workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations and even social outings.
Thanks to our newly-renovated, well-lit Studio 1 Gallery in the Arts Centre itself, the BAS is able to hold all of their major exhibitions with success.
Contact: 0434 920 528
'Lapidary' is a rather obscure word, but it essentially just refers to the craft of working with minerals and gemstones. The beautiful stones are lovingly cut, polished and made into jewellery and other crafts by our Bankstown & District Lapidary Club (BDLC).
The BDLC is a membership organisation. Club members use their facilities on a daily basis throughout the year to transform rocks and minerals into polished products for jewellery and other items. They even deal in silverwork.
Club activity hours:
- Tuesday, 10am-2.45pm, 5-8.30pm
- Wednesday, 10am-2.30pm
- Saturday, 1.15-5pm
Contact: 0450 577 475
The Bankstown Theatre Company calls Bankstown Arts Centre its home. It produces three public performances per year, with musical productions as the genre they most favour.
Generally, there are two major productions in rehearsal at any one time, often rehearsing up to four nights per week.