EOI’s open: Monday 4 May 2026
EOI’s close: Monday 22 June 2026
Program dates: 30 November - 6 December 2026

Location: Bundanon
Bundanon is set across 1000 hectares of wildlife refuge on Dharawal and Dhurga speaking Country in the Shoalhaven Region of the NSW South Coast. A centre for the arts and learning that supports the development of creative practice across all disciplines, Bundanon is home to an Art Museum and permanent collection and a renowned Artists in Residence program. It’s also a site for learning and live programs, nature experiences, dining and overnight stays in award-winning buildings.

Venue & Accomodation: The Arthur Boyd Education Centre provides a main hall and various breakout room options. There is residential accommodation of 16 rooms with 2 single beds (with room dividers, making each room private).

Reach out to the Ensemble Offspring team admin@ensembleoffspring.com with any questions regarding your EOI or about the Burranbala week itself.

We’re inviting First Nations musicians and sound artists of all backgrounds to apply to Burranbala. Participants have the opportunity to collaborate with a group of instrumental musicians and vocalists, working across western classical, experimental, improvised and electro-acoustic fields.

Applicants should consider themselves a composer, musician or performer or want to experience being a combination! They might also have other practices, like writing, dance, or visual art - all of which would be welcome in the mix!

Your EOI should be a one page letter which can include:

• a short biography

• your musical background or education

• your musical influences, mentors or favourite musical styles

• why you want to participate in Burranbala

• a link to at least one (1) example of your work

• two names and details of people who can speak to your experience or passions in the music sphere.

Applicants with individual access needs are encouraged to apply. You can contact our team via admin@ensembleoffspring.com for more information and assistance.

• Burranbala is open to composers and musicians of all ages who are interested in being involved in the program. You must be available for the intensive dates of 30 November - 6 December 2026.

• Participants must be First Nations.

Ensemble Offspring is passionate about supporting and nurturing a living, contemporary Australian music culture that reflects and embraces the true diversity of its artists and practices. For 10 years we have played an active role in what Dr Christopher Sainsbury’s terms “a gentle correction” of the disparity in opportunities afforded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in comparison to those afforded to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. We also recognise the damaging legacy of colonisation and see the immense value that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists can offer the broader arts sector and cultural landscape in a genuine two-way conversation.

You can read more about our Commitment to First Nations Artists here.

Nardi Simpson - Yuwaalaraay composer, author, Burranbala Artistic Director

Kaleena Smith (Briggs) - Wiradjuri/Yorta Yorta musician, Ensemble Offspring First Nations Director

Sonya Holowell - Dharawal vocalist, improviser and writer, Ensemble Offspring First Nations Director

Nicole Smede - Warrimay artist, composer and poet

Alexandra Spence - sound artist, musician

Claire Edwardes - percussionist, Ensemble Offspring Artistic Director

Lamorna Nightingale - flautist

Jason Noble - clarinettist, Hatched Academy Director

Niki Johnson - percussionist, composer

Ronan Apcar - pianist, composer

Ensemble Offspring’s First Nations Program, now in its 10th year, is underpinned by genuine long term relationships with First Nations collaborators and consultation with community, facilitated by our vast circle of collaborators and led by our First Nations Directors Kaleena Smith and Sonya Holowell. Beginning our journey as Ensemble in Residence for Ngarra-Burria: First Peoples Composers back in 2016, we have been an integral part in the development of the careers of almost twenty of Australia’s most well recognised Indigenous composers. Our First Nations Composers in Residence Program (a two year program culminating in a special project) has included Brenda Gifford (Yuin), Nardi Simpson (Yuwaalaraay), Eric Avery (Ngiyampaa, Yuin and Gumbangirr) and James Henry (Yuwaalaraay) and Mark Munk Ross (Jardwadjali/Wotjobulak). This music has been performed from Helsinki to Berlin and Hastings to Brewarrina. Recent projects in 2025 include Stories of Water and Earth featuring Melanie Munungurr (Yolgnu) and Nardi Simpson (Yuwaalaraay) at the Sydney Opera House and Bila’s Big Dance in collaboration with Tim Gray (Gumbaynggirr/Wiradjuri) and Orchestra Victoria.

• Seven (7) day in-person residency based on mutual creative exchange between participants and team members, with an environment grounded in cultural strength, artistic generosity and self-determination. Participants will explore diverse artistic ideas at their own pace, and develop new work within a culture of deep respect, listening and exchange, culminating in a public showing.

• $1000 honorarium for each participant.

• All travel costs and accommodation

• All meals throughout the residency

• Video documentation of your creation presented at the final showing.

• The chance to connect with Ensemble Offspring's rich network of passionate collaborators.

Outcomes for the residency will be self-determined by participants, emerging from relational processes and experimentation. This could look like: forging new collaborations, creating compositional sketches (not necessarily using traditional notation), a performance/showing of a work, recordings of group jams, poetic reflections and lyric writing - and much more!

Burranbala is just the first step in an ongoing journey of collaboration and creation. Through the connections and networks you will develop life long relationships which will be supported by Ensemble Offspring and The Team into the future.