“Did You Know?” Community Exhibition 2026

Randwick Council is working on a range of activities to enhance social cohesion, one of these projects is the "Did You Know?" Community Exhibition 2026.

Artist Profile

Giannina M. Casanova (Artist/Curator)

Giannina began her artistic journey at an early age, shaped by a deeply creative upbringing. Raised by parents who were both accomplished artists—her father an illustrator, street artist, and actor, and her mother a painter and art therapist—she was immersed in a world where artistic exploration was a way of life. Their creative pursuits took the family across Latin America, from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, before ultimately settling in Sydney in the mid-1980s.

Growing up within this vibrant and culturally rich environment, Giannina developed an intuitive and lifelong connection to art. From an early age, she not only created art but also embraced the importance of sharing it, later extending her practice into teaching and facilitating workshops for both adults and children. Fluent in Spanish and English, she engages with diverse communities, building meaningful cross-cultural connections through creative expression.

After completing high school, Giannina began refining her personal artistic voice. By the early 2000s, she had formally emerged onto the Sydney art scene, establishing herself as an independent and distinctive creative force. Over the years, she has participated in numerous collaborative projects, public murals, workshops, and exhibitions, presenting her work across Latin America, Central America, Europe, and Australia. Primarily self-taught, Giannina’s practice is defined by an unconventional and highly personal approach to artmaking. Unbound by rigid academic frameworks, she embraces experimentation and creative risk.

Her work draws deeply from her multicultural heritage—Latin American, Native American, Russian, and European — as well as from her personal experiences and life journeys. Each piece is a passionate and intuitive response to the world around her, expressed through vibrant colour palettes, dynamic forms, and emotive visual storytelling.

Her artistic language reveals a sophisticated understanding of light, shadow, and spatial installation. She often challenges conventional perception, creating immersive works that evoke unpredictability, intensity, and emotional resonance. Viewers are invited not merely to observe, but to experience her art on a visceral level.

As an art educator and mentor, Giannina champions a philosophy of “think less, feel more,” encouraging her students to trust intuition, embrace curiosity, and cultivate creative courage. She fosters environments where imagination and authenticity flourish, empowering individuals to discover their own artistic voice. Rooted in a rich and diverse cultural lineage,

Giannina continues to leave a distinctive imprint on the Sydney art scene. Guided by vivid memories, dreams, and a profound belief in the transformative power of colour, she brings to life both her own vision and the expressive potential of those she teaches.

Maria Rosa Casanova (Art Therapist)

Born in Santiago, Chile, and shaped by migration through Argentina before settling in Australia, Maria’s life and artistic practice are deeply informed by cross-cultural experience. Raised in an artistic family — with a father who was a painter and a mother who was a fashion designer — she was immersed in creative expression from an early age, exploring painting, colour, and handcrafted art.

After arriving in Australia without speaking English, art became a vital form of

communication and belonging. Through acrylic and oil painting, and art workshops she continued to develop her artistic voice while discovering the profound emotional and connective power of creative expression. This understanding inspired her to further her studies, completing an Advanced Certificate in Community Welfare, Advanced Diploma in Transpersonal Art Therapy, Bachelor of Arts Psychotherapy and a Master of Counselling.

Maria has over ten years of extensive experience facilitating workshops primarily with multicultural communities across all ages. Her work extends to mental health settings and aged care facilities, where she supports emotional wellbeing through creative and therapeutic art practices. Throughout her career, she has worked as a self-employed, contracted practitioner, delivering freelance workshops and providing private art therapy and counselling services to individuals and community groups. In this capacity, she has collaborated with organisations such as South Eastern Community Connect, Sydney Multicultural Community Services, Bolton Clarke Home Care Facilities, Hirondelle Mental Health Hospital, and Randwick Council.

She continues to lead workshops in partnership with Sydney Multicultural Community Services, supporting diverse communities through creative and therapeutic art practices. Her contributions to the field were recognised with a nomination for the Women’s Health Award.

Maria’s work is grounded in the belief that art is a bridge — between cultures, emotions, and healing. She believes that language, age, or gender is not a barrier for communication through art, and that creative expression can be a powerful tool for overcoming grief, homesickness, stress, and other emotional challenges especially refugees, migrants and multicultural communities, she recognises art as a vital language when words are not yet available, enabling self-expression, connection, and emotional well-being.

Project Overview

Randwick City Council is seeking a community-engaged artist or arts collective to co-create the “Did You Know?” exhibition in collaboration with culturally diverse communities across the Randwick LGA. The exhibition will explore cultural identity, lived experience, and local contributions through creative storytelling, forming part of Council’s NSW Social Cohesion Grant initiative to foster inclusion and respond to racism and division.

The final exhibition will be held at Lionel Bowen Library, Maroubra, from Saturday 21 March to Monday 20 April 2026, with a launch event on Saturday 21 March.

Bystander Training for Men

As part of the Social Cohesion grant project funded by the NSW government, Randwick City Council and Sher Foundation are hosting a FREE bystander training workshop for men from all backgrounds, cultures and walks of life to build cultural inclusion, connection and bystander confidence.

Through this two-hour interactive workshop, participants will be able to:

*     Connect with other men from diverse cultural backgrounds

*     Share personal stories and cultural experiences

*     Explore the role of identity and belonging across different cultures

*     Learn how to recognise and respond to discrimination and hate in safe and culturally respectful ways

*     Build the confidence to be an active bystander

All attendees will receive a LinkedIn digital badge and get a chance to win a Labubu giveaway!

Date & Time: Thursday 30 October 4 pm - 6 pm

Venue: Room 2008, Quadrangle Building, UNSW Kensington.

Registration:  https://events.humanitix.com/cald-men-s-workshop-building-inclusion-connection-and-bystander-confidence

Enquiry: Randwick City Council 1300 722 542

Bookings essential. Refreshments provided.

Aboriginal Cultural Awareness and Understanding Workshop

Join us at this free workshop to discover the rich history, culture and identity of the Aboriginal people with ancestral ties to Coastal Sydney.

These engaging sessions offer an opportunity to:

·         Learn about Aboriginal people's cultural and ancestral connections to Coastal Sydney

·         Explore kinship systems and the layers of Aboriginal identity

·         Begin or refresh your Aboriginal cultural immersion journey

Whether you're new to Aboriginal cultural learning or looking to build on existing knowledge, these workshops are a meaningful first step.

Where: Vonnie Young Auditorium, Lionel Bowen Library, 669/673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra NSW 2035

When: Thursday 13 November, 6pm – 7pm

Enquiry: Randwick City Council [1300 722 542]

Bookings essential Register: https://events.humanitix.com/aboriginal-cultural-awareness-and-understanding-workshop

Refreshments provided

Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney Cultural Tour

Join us to learn about the local Aboriginal community’s deep ancestral and unbroken connection to Coastal Sydney. Hear from local Aboriginal community members from the Gujaga Foundation on the rich culture and history of Aboriginal people in the area. This cultural tour offers an authentic and immersive cultural experience walking around La Perouse so some fitness required.

Places are limited and bookings essential for the tours.

Choose one of cultural tours:

Thursday 6 November 2025, 6.30 pm – 7.30pm

Tuesday 11 November 2025, 6.30 pm – 7.30 pm

Saturday 15 November 2025 10 am - 11 am

Saturday 22 November 2025, 10 am – 11 am

Enquiry: Randwick City Council 1300 722 542

Register: https://events.humanitix.com/aboriginal-people-of-coastal-sydney-cultural-tour

Free bus transport is provided.

Tour bus pick-up point: Light Rail Parking, 3 Rainbow St, Kingsford NSW 2032