Inclusion Festival 2025
29 November-14 December
Inclusion Festival is Inner West Council’s flagship event for the International Day of People with Disability.
Our entire program of creative events is proudly created by people with disability and is free for the whole community to enjoy!
Events include:
- Film screenings
- Art exhibitions and talks
- Creative workshops
- Inclusive sport and recreation activities
And more!
Sign up for updates
If you have any questions, or to tell us your access needs, please phone Finn on 02 9335 2139 or Caitlin on 02 9392 5236, or email finn.okeefe@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
Inclusion Festival 2025 events
Filmable short film festival
Two days of cutting edge, disability-led short films at Marrickville Library and Pavilion.
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3 December: Short film showcase PLUS red carpet premiere of 3 Hackathon films created people with disability in the Inner West.
- 6 December: Panel discussion featuring 3 Screenability filmmakers in conversation.
Tickets are free - but be quick! Capacity is limited and these sessions will sell out!
Book now
Hydro Disco Art Pool Party
We’re turning the pool into a dance floor, so get ready to splash, move and groove at Hydro Disco!
Join artists Amy Claire Mills and Bedelia Lowrenčev, alongside their powerhouse dance crew from Midnight Feast for an inclusive, access-led water aerobics dance class and pool party at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Marrickville on Friday 12 December from 7pm to 8.30pm.
Free event, registration is essential. All welcome! But be quick - this event will sell out!
Book now
Inclusion Festival Short Film Hackathon
This event is now booked out. Join the waitlist
Learn how to make a short film using your smartphone!
RSVP for our fun, FREE two-day workshop for people with disability at Haberfield Library on 1-2 November 2025.
Working in small groups with mentors from The Story Mill, you'll make a short film about inclusion and disability pride in just 48 hours.
No experience needed! Your mentors will show you how to:
- Plan your story and draw a storyboard
- Film using your phone to record sound and video
- Edit cut your film, add colour and music
The films you make will be shown at a red-carpet event at Marrickville Library on the International Day of People with Disability, 3 December 2025.
The event is now booked out
Join waitlist
If you have any questions about this event, or to discuss your access needs, please phone Finn on 02 9335 2139 or Caitlin on 02 9392 5236, or email community@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
View last year's program - Inclusion Festival 2024
Our 2024 Inclusion Festival opened with a moving disability pride flag raising ceremony on the Petersham Town Hall forecourt. We then moved inside for a stimulating panel discussion hosted by ABC disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella and a diverse lineup of artists, activists and other community leaders.
Attendees also enjoyed an uplifting selection of music, comedy and other entertainment, and delicious food from Too Good Co.
A video of the panel discussion is available below.
You can also view and download photos from the event.
The full line up of trailblazing artists and panellists are listed below:
- Nas Campanella, ABC Disability Affairs reporter
- Jamal Abdul, comedian
- Timothy Hodge, Paralympic gold medal winner
- Jeremy Lowrenčev, Queer Deaf multidisciplinary artist and facilitator.
- Bedelia Lowrenčev, Actor, Community Facilitator and Creative Producer - both Co-Program Coordinators - Access at Sydney Fringe Festival.
- Lara Nahkle, musician, ambassador and music therapist
- Kitty Farrell - Activist and volunteer; former Co-chair of the Inner West Council Access Committee
- Daniel McDonald, Gadigal Wonnarua visual artist
- Sabrina Chan D'Angelo, screen and theatre artist running an interactive music experience devised by instrument designer and researcher, Alon Ilsar
- DJ ZZARNI, Burmese/Thai street photographer and beatmaker from Marrickville
Inclusion Festival was an accessible, interactive event which included:
- Auslan interpreters
- live captioning
- noise cancelling headphones available
- accessible seating that is not up the back
- service animals welcome
- a sensory space
2024 program
Inclusion Festival is part of a program of events across the Inner West supported by Inner West Council. See below for events held in 2024.
Sport and recreation programs
Partner events
Accessibility
Our vision is to model inclusive practice, to build a space where diversity is valued and thrives. We've put together an accessible events checklist, which you can download in PDF and Word format below.