home
Firstdraft is where the future of contemporary art emerges, through a program that champions experimentation, risk and inclusion.
Current
Join us for Co-working Wednesdays, a weekly, low commitment, community networking opportunity held after business hours on Wednesday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm (during exhibition periods).
From pencil to pixel, Small Frame is an assembly of experimental animated works that foreground technique and material in physical space. Curated by Jenn Tran, the exhibition brings together independent animators Jent Do, Milly Yencken, Quinn Franks, Eleanor Evans, and Tiff Yue — artists working and recognised across Australia and internationally.
Having Swallowed a Mirror meditates on the idea that a portrait of someone else is also a portrait of the artist. This exhibition brings together three early-career artists exploring contemporary portrait painting and suggests that the practice of portrait making is a way of looking inward by looking outward.
Moving in (the next world) builds on Come As You Are, Little Umbrella Collective’s online exhibition, bringing the work into a shared physical environment. The exhibition shifts focus from individual practices to collaboration, imagining the gallery as a space of dwelling. Through painting, textile, sculpture and installation, artists collectively shape a home built through care, access and community.
Having Swallowed a Mirror meditates on the idea that a portrait of someone else is also a portrait of the artist. This exhibition brings together three early-career artists exploring contemporary portrait painting and suggests that the practice of portrait making is a way of looking inward by looking outward.
news
On March 13, 1986, 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 opened at Firstdraft’s first location in Chippendale.
Firstdraft is catapulting into 2026 with a new year of ground-breaking programs, including our exhibition, micro-commission and writers program!
Firstdraft is now seeking proposals from artists, curators and writers for consideration in our 2026–27 Program. We invite ideas that champion experimentation, risk and inclusion.
The team at Firstdraft are delighted to announce Firstdraft’s new Chair Augusta Supple and Treasurer Dominic Kavanagh.