about us

FUNPARK is a mini arts festival that focuses on community engagement and celebrating place, culture, young people and the community of Bidwill, Mount Druitt. 

FUNPARK was first presented at Sydney Festival in 2014 under the creative direction of founder, Kaz Therese. It has since developed into a sustained ‘Collective Impact Project’ led by a unique coalition of four arts, government and youth organisations: CuriousWorks, PYT Fairfield, Blacktown Arts and Bidwill Uniting.

"All the major Sydney, or New South Wales, even Australian fun parks were in Mount Druitt, and wether people knew it or not they were coming to Mount Druitt to have fun. 

I went in just looking at all this history of what happened to Australia's Wonderland, and I drove to try and find the site where it used to be, and its one of the biggest Western Sydney landfill holes. 

The concept of fun in this area had become this huge, literal, hole in the ground. I created this concept that I'm going to invite everyone back and create a mini festival, an event that remembered those fun histories" 

- FUNPARK Founder, Kaz Thereze for ABC Art Works

Upon entering its eighth year, FUNPARK 2022 highlighted the narratives of the Mount Druitt youth and its residents through unique and critical expression of their Australian cultures, building a stronger and more resilient community for the people of Mount Druitt.

The FUNPARK Festival 2022 offered audiences a diverse array of creative expression and activities, from stage and roving performances, film screenings, creative workshops, art installations, an Elders tent, 0-5 area, art installations and much more. 

FUNPARK has also curated a series of conversations led by young local cultural leaders called the Mount Druitt Press Conference. The participants attended a set of workshops, where they shared lived experiences of growing up in Bidwill, leading to a live public broadcast conversation.