The legacy of the famous 13th century Sufi poet and sage Jalal Al-Din Al-Rumi comes alive in performances by Melbourne's finest Persian music group, Mehr Ensemble. This unique 7 piece group has created its own original repertoire connecting contemporary Australian audiences to classical Persian music. With flowing, timeless intensity, Iranian born singers Samira Karimi and Mehdi Mirzaei bring the poetry of Rumi to life while the musicians bring new dimensions to the ancient Radif musical modal system with traditional Persian instruments. The National Tour of Consternation is being developed in partnership with Multicultural Arts Victoria.

Hip Hop Academy Road Show (HHARS) is a mobile 'touring' version of a residency program produced by Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC), where young people (participants are generally aged 12 – 17 but can be extended according to need) work with some of Australia's most dynamic hip hop artists to explore all aspects of hip hop culture (beats, rap, dance, fashion, street art) and further understand its socio-political history. Through a series of hands-on workshops encompassing MCing, breaking, graffiti and DJing, participants investigate issues of social discrimination and race relations whilst expressing their own identities through the creation of new words, beats, fashion and moves. HHARS also incorporates an introduction to hip-hop films and documentaries and provides participants with a brief history of hip-hop culture. At the end of the workshop component of the residency, participants mount a 'Super-Jam' with the professional artists in their own community.

HHARS instructors are drawn from those who have previously been involved with Hip Hop Academy at FCAC and may include the legendary B-boy Lamaroc, Pataphysics, Melbourne graf artist Monkey, and DJ Jumps from the Cat Empire. Partner organisations may include state-based refugee advocate services and other like organisations.

Soft Revolution: Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah is a warm and sensitively realised story of an Australian Afghani Muslim woman and her favourite aunt. Shafana is a bright young postgraduate student surrounded by the opportunities of 'the lucky country'. Her Afghani family have had to work hard to assimilate into Australian society since their perilous escape from war torn Afghanistan. When Shafana tells her Aunt Sarrinah that she wishes to wear the traditional headscarf she finds she faces fierce opposition and a surprising outcome. Award-winning playwright Alana Valentine (Parramatta Girls) wrote the play based on many personal interviews with a diversity of vibrant Australian Muslims and their stories shine through in this much-lauded modern tale.

Samoan-Australian artist, Maryann Talia Pau, will be embarking on a national weaving project with Kultour in 2012. The project, entitled 'Fa'amolemole, pe mafai ona tatou lalaga fa'atasi?' ('Please, can I weave with you?'), utilises the ancient craft of weaving to bring communities together. The project seeks ways for participants to and find out more about each other's culture, to find a connection to each other, to this land and its traditional owners. The project, inspired by her first exhibited breastplate at Craft Victoria in 2009, presents an exciting opportunity to create a body of work for exhibition that tells our unique stories of identity and place. By weaving together, we give life to the metaphor of weaving strong, informed and inclusive communities.

The communities Maryann wishes to engage and weave with are Indigenous Australian communities and other communities that have a weaving culture or want to revive this craft that was once practised. 'Please, can I weave with you?' is an invitation to make together, with people who know much or very little about the craft of weaving. It is also a heartfelt request to share and learn these ancient crafts so that we can continue building relationships that are based on honesty and reciprocity. Maryann will be in residence in a number of communities across Australia in 2012 and the project will culminate in a major exhibition in 2013.

Curated by Aaron Seeto, Integration, Assimilation and a fair go for ALL presents a significant chapter in Khaled Sabsabi's ongoing body of work which investigates the troubled relation between contact and conflict. Sabsabi is an artist who is not only engaged politically, but an artist who offers us different ways of thinking through our relationships and our place in the world. The 3-channel video installation titled 'Left-Centre-Right' captures an ominous storm sequence hovering over suburbs near Newcastle from 1997. Presented in a darkened space, 'Left-Centre-Right' is eerily similar to news imagery of war offensives in other countries. bWith 'Fuck off we're Full' Sabsabi critiques our institutions, asking whether the conflict of land ownership and occupation is silently inscribed all around us. Haunting video projections are approached by walking over bark and leaves, creating an enveloping and challenging sensory experience. 'Australian' is a 12-channel video installation of human faces made up of oscillating fragments – noses, eyes, mouths – representative of various cultures that brings both Australia's heritage and its contemporary politics into sharp focus.

Keyim Ba is a collection of world class West African musicians with a vision to bring the rhythm, dance and music of West Africa to Australian audiences. Diverse and innovative, Keyim Ba explores melody, song, rhythm and movement across culture and time, taking audiences on an exceptional and exciting musical journey into West Africa. Embracing percussive as well as melodic pieces, Keyim Ba offers a show of explosive and powerful African drumming and high energy dance while capturing the alluring sounds of West African melodies accompanied by the Kora (West African harp), Guitar and Balafon.

Brothers Mohamed and Sibo Bangoura, two of Australia's leading Djembe players, bring dynamic drumming to the stage. Born into a Griot family, the Bangoura brothers fulfill their roles to carry on the traditions of West African music from the Mandeng. The brothers are joined by Yacou MBaye, son of Pape M'Baye and member of the prominent Sydney Senegalese group, Chosani Afrique on Doun Doun and Lansana Camara on Balafon. Keyim Ba offers workshop opportunities including African Drum & Dance workshops, Body & Voice Percussion workshops and World Music Singing workshops.