Nexus Arts is delighted to announce the return of our music development program Interplay in 2027
With the support of the Music Development Office, Nexus Arts is inviting contemporary musicians from First Nations and culturally diverse backgrounds to apply to take part in our flagship music development program that encompasses career guidance, a tailored mentorship, a creative intensive and a performance series. The yearlong program aims to bolster creativity, connection, and community in an intercultural and supportive environment.
If you’re looking to deepen your creative practice, connect with other artists, work with a mentor, develop new skills and partnerships, hone your performance practice and connect with Nexus Arts and the broader South Australian music and arts industry, we welcome your application.
“Interplay is a fertile soil, cultivated from the love of a few key people. Every artist who comes across this program knows how to appreciate the opportunity, it’s like a seed planted in the right ground. Here you’re given space physically and mentally to be seen for who you truly are. The season of becoming starts here, and this is where the roots ground. Take this opportunity to grow a genuine community, one that will serve as the backbone for the path ahead.”
– San Dragan, 2025 Interplay Artist
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Artists taking part in Interplay will work one-on-one with Nexus Arts’ supportive and dedicated staff to support your individual career pathways and goals. You will also work with the other program artists in group sessions, including a 5-day creative intensive period where you will share, collaborate, and engage with other artists and industry leaders. You will be supported to identify and connect with a mentor of your choice to nurture your creative spirit and develop a meaningful relationship. You will work on a photo shoot, film a live music video, and perform at the Nexus Arts Venue, all while your creativity and community is fostered and enriched.
Throughout 2027, 6 program artists will take part in:
- One-on-one career development sessions with Nexus staff
- A personalised mentorship with a creative or industry professional
- A 5-day creative intensive at Nexus Arts with other program artists
- An individual photo shoot with an experienced music photographer
- A live music video shoot
- Development of your Electronic Press Kit
- Artist group connect sessions
- A performance series at Nexus Arts
These activities will take place between January and December 2027, with key dates outlined below under the heading ‘Your Participation’. The program aims to provide dedicated space for artists to develop, share and connect, bringing contemporary musicians together in the spirit of intercultural communication, exploration and creation. If this sounds like the place for you, please keep reading!
ELIGIBILITY
Interplay is open to artists from both First Nations and culturally diverse backgrounds. Eligible artists must be creating and performing original music in any genre. You must be performance ready. We define this as being ready and able to perform a full-length (approx. 45 minutes) set of original music, if we were to offer you one today. If you’re looking to form a band or to learn to write music, there are other opportunities that may be a better fit for you than Interplay. Please get in touch if you have any questions about this.
Participants must be 18 years or over in January 2027 for program involvement. The program will best suit artists looking to further engage in the music industry, who are seeking to build their professional practice by making primary income from artistic work. In 2027 we welcome applications from artists new to Nexus alongside those who have participated in a Nexus Arts development program prior to 2023.
YOUR PARTICIPATION
Involvement in the program is free. You are expected to attend workshops and artist connect sessions. Please talk to us if you think this will be a problem for you. One-on-one sessions with Nexus staff will take place at negotiated times which suit both parties.
You will have the opportunity to work with a mentor for approximately 15 hours over the course of the year. This can happen in person or online and can be self-paced depending on your schedule and mentor’s availability.
You will be required to take part in a 5-day creative intensive at Nexus Arts from Monday 12 April to Friday 16 April 2027. This will be an exciting group collaborative music-making period, with facilitation by leading contemporary music artists. You will be paid a weekly stipend for this period, allowing you to take leave from other paid work.
As part of the program, you will perform once during the Interplay performance series, which is scheduled for four consecutive Saturdays: 6, 13, 20, and 27 November 2027. You will be paid for this performance, and the date will be negotiated with Nexus staff and other program artists. The performance will be one set (approx. 45-50 minutes) in duration, and you will perform on the same night as one other program artist.
ABOUT OUR PROGRAM MANAGERS
Jennifer Trijo
Interplay Program Co-Manager
Jennifer Trijo is a Filipino multi-disciplinary artist living and working in Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide). She is an actor-musician-singer with professional theatre credits including: Hadestown (Opera Australia & Jones Theatrical Group) as Fate 2 (violin) & Persephone Cover; Baruska (accordion) in Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company); Janelle Woods and Shirelle in Beautiful – the Carole King Musical (Matt Ward Entertainment); Ms. Mendoza in The Deep North, the first African-Australian musical (South Australian Playwrights Theatre); Hua Mulan, Pocahontas, and Badroulbadour in Disenchanted (Mad About Theatre); and Kim in the Australian tour of Miss Saigon (LWAA & Michael Coppel).
Since releasing her debut self-titled EP, she has composed approximately 100 original songs. Recent career highlights include being named a 2024 Finalist in the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards in the Music Theatre category for her musical Dragonfly, and winning a 2024 Green Room Award for Best Artist Ensemble with the multi-talented cast of Once the musical. She is currently developing her musical to present at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2026. Jennifer is a proud member of the MEAA.
As a composer and theatre maker she has developed and presented the acclaimed ‘Someday – a Mindful Cabaret’ and is currently developing her new musical ‘Dragonfly’. Jennifer was named a 2024 Finalist in the APRA AMCOS Professional Development Awards in the Music Theatre category for Dragonfly and won a 2024 Green Room Award with the multi-talented cast of Once the musical.
Jennifer was the winner of the Cultivate x Nexus Arts Residency 2026. Through this opportunity she self-produced the critically-acclaimed first development of her musical at the Adelaide Fringe Festival under the project title NYMPH. As a multi-instrumentalist, she collaborates with many music acts including Hyoshi in Counterpoint and San Dragan. Her music festival credits include OzAsia, BrisAsia, and Womadelaide. In 2026, she has been nominated as a Finalist for the SA Music Awards’ Best Music Educator.
Kultar Ahluwalia
Interplay Program Co-Manager
Kultar Ahluwalia is a multidisciplinary hip hop artist from Southern Adelaide with Punjabi and Irish roots. At a young age coming to terms with his identity, Kultar found wisdom in the empowering words of revolutionary hip hop artists. Kultar has been releasing and performing music over the last two decades. More recently, Kultar began creating works under his birth name.
In 2023, Kultar was selected as one of six artists in the Nexus Arts Interplay Program. During his time in the program, Kultar created a new stage show and accompanying EP “The Mixed- Race Tape”.
In 2024, “The Mixed-Race Tape” premiered at OzAsia Festival across two capacity shows at Nexus Arts to glowing reception.
In 2025 and 2026, Kultar has been touring “The Mixed-Race Tape” and accompanying workshops for a run of successful showings at Darwin Festival, OzAsia, Riverside Theatres, Red Dirt Poetry Festival and Emerging Writer’s Festival. Kultar has also been busy in recent months developing new works through residencies at Adelaide Festival Centre (April 2026, InSpace) and Sauerbier House culture exchange (July-August 2026).
Outside of his independent arts career, Kultar is an Occupational Therapist with over a decade of experience working with children, youth and families. Kultar combines his arts, community engagement and health experience in his role at Nexus Arts supporting and mentoring the next cohort of Interplay artists and as an independent workshop facilitator for organisations such as City of Onkaparinga, ActNow Theatre and Spoken Word SA. He is a member of the Adelaide City of Music Artist Advisory Committee and Arts Health Network of South Australia (AHNSA) Stewardship Group.
TO APPLY PLEASE FILL OUT THE JOTFORM
Click here to fill out the Interplay 2027 Application Jotform
Please call us at 08 8212 4276 or email any enquiries about the above information to the Interplay Co-Managers jennifer.trijo@nexusarts.org.au and kultar.ahluwalia@nexusarts.org.au
You will have the option to submit your responses to the Questions about your artistic practice as a video response if you prefer this over written responses. You can also arrange a time to meet to talk through your application process before the due date.
Applications will close at 11.59pm on Monday 30th December 2026, with selected participants notified shortly afterwards and program activities commencing in January 2027.
This program has been supported the Music Development Office through the Government of South Australia.
