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Australian South Asian Centre

A purpose driven community of South Asian women founders, creatives, professionals and change makers.

Upcoming Events & Workshops

We are now accepting nominations for Australia’s only awards series dedicated to recognising brilliant South Asian women and non-binary creatives, founders & professionals – Stellar South Asian Women Awards. Do you know a stellar South Asian woman doing inspiring work and uplifting community? Nominate them today.If this sounds like you? Self nominations are encouraged. The awards ceremony will take place on 23 November 2024, from 6pm – late, in Naarm (Melbourne).

So you want to learn stand-up comedy? Take part in our 8 week comedy course. Learn more about it here.

2024 intake is full, however you can express interest for 2025. Dates to be announced. Come along to the showcase to see our up and comers from the course perform their comedy.

Brown Women Comedy presents this showcase of up and comers. These women of colour graduated from our first-ever comedy workshops, where, over 8 weeks, they learnt how to create and perform stand-up in a safe, inclusive space. Following sell-out shows at Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe, we are proud to bring you this line-up of brand-new comedians, right here in Melbourne.

Taking place during South Asian Heritage Month, join us to celebrate these up-and-comers as they perform their own original content, drawn from their lived experiences as women of colour.

Join us for an evening of powerful words. A poetry showcase celebrating the rich cultural tapestry and experience of Brown and South Asian Women poets from Sydney.

Whether you’re a poetry enthusiast or want to support the talent of these women, this event is an opportunity to connect with the community and celebrate cultural diversity.

Sydney showcase produced by Brown Boss Babes.

15th – 25th August | 5:30pm | Hill Street Theatre
Laugh your heart out to an award-winning besharam (shameless) line-up of Indian, Pakistani and South Asian comedians. No topic is too taboo. These women won’t be holding back. Your parents probably won’t approve as you trauma bond watching these six women turn family expectations into comedy gold.
We’re thrilled to be bringing Brown Women Comedy to UK, it’s Australia’s first and largest comedy show featuring a line up of incredibly talented South Asian women comedians, with over 2900 tickets sold in 2024 across Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Sydney Comedy Festival we can’t wait to take over Edinburgh Fringe – the world’s largest arts festival in Scotland.

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How to get involved?

Here’s how you can get involved with us:

Become a member of our community of ambitious and impact-driven South Asian women creatives, founders & professionals. We’re a community that supports you, champions your work and provides opportunities for you to connect with other like-minded women.

Subscribe to our newsletter to know about upcoming events and what’s happening in the community of South Asian go-getters.

Be part of our major initiatives  Brown Women Comedy (part of comedy festivals across Australia) and Australia’s Stellar South Asian Women Award.

Join our book club where we read and discuss books written by South Asian authors. The book club is free & intimate, usually hosted at one of our member’s homes.

Testimonials

Lisa Singh
Hon. Lisa Singh
Former Senator, Advocate & Humanitarian

I am so impressed by the advocacy of the Australian South Asian Centre – it just shows how much difference you can make with a little effort and dedication and the impact we all can make. Embracing and celebrating our differences as strengths in a free society is certainly a hallmark of all your achievements in this South Asian Heritage month

Swati Vats
Swathi Vats
Illustrator

Coming out of a tough year of being in lockdown (and that too- stranded from home) I was finding it challenging to resume my efforts of building myself as an illustrator. Even though we were supposedly “getting back to the things we loved”, I was feeling majorly distant from my communities. When I signed up for a table at the Soul House Festival Launch as an illustrator, I was just glad to be in the scene again really and didn’t think too hard about how different it might be from my other experiences at art markets in Melbourne/Sydney. What I actually ended up experiencing was a flood of support and a warm welcome into a lovely community. I got to witness such wonderful performances and meet fellow South Asians in the arts that would just “get it”.I can’t wait to see what the community behind it comes up with next! 

Sneha Lees
Sneha Lees
Author of Good Indian Daughter

Not only does ASAC work hard to support South Asian women in Australia, to connect them with one another and to elevate their voices  thereby injecting more diversity into any conversation dominated by the white mainstream; but from what I’ve been seeing, they seem to be cultivating and promoting a culture of honesty and authenticity from the get-go. If you attend an ASAC panel event or interview, you are likely to hear the un-sugar-coated reality of people’s stories, you’ll get the real deal and you’ll hopefully feel less alone in struggles that are infrequently discussed in an open forum. I know I did. Such truth-telling is inspiring, uplifting and empowering.

leah ed
Leah Vandenberg
Actress, Writer & Voice Artist

As an Indian/Australian actor and writer, I felt incredibly moved when I learned I was one of five “Stellar South Asian Women” selected by ASAC. This recognition arrived on a difficult day when I was going into ‘battle’ yet again on matters of inclusion and visibility as a South Asian woman in the Australian screen industry.  The unwavering support of the brilliant women at ASAC infuse me with a strength to stay upright, strong and creative. ASAC has created a much-needed space where South Asian women can hold space for each other and celebrate each other’s achievements like there is no tomorrow.  It’s a privilege to be part of this fierce, nurturing and ever-expanding sisterhood. Thank you ASAC.

To create meaningful connections and amplify South Asian women who are impact-driven leaders, entrepreneurs, creatives and to produce South Asian related content/productions.

Meet our new 2024 leadership committee. We’re a group of professionals, creatives and founders determined to amplify the voices and work of South Asian women across Australia.

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