Creativity, culture, and connection unite a 'barkada' of Filipino creatives in Australia, fostering a deep commitment to preserving their heritage

From having only a handful of acquaintances when she first moved to Sydney from Brisbane, writer-editor Mariam Ella Arcilla is now actively immersed in dynamic connections and collaborative projects with fellow Filipino creatives across Australia.

'The Barkada Index acts as an inventory. Now, we know how many Filipinos in Australia are creatives, contributing to the cultural ecology, and willing to connect.' Credit: Supplied by Mariam Arcilla

Key Points

• In September 2024, arts and culture worker Mariam Ella Arcilla launched the 'Barkada Index,' aimed at creating a comprehensive list of Filipino creatives across Australia.
• The 'Barkada Index' is an online directory that lists Filipino Australians across diverse fields, including arts, culture, performance, music, and production.
• The open-access directory aims to foster greater connections between Filipino creatives and artists in Australia.

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Creativity, culture, and connection unite a 'barkada' of Filipino creatives in Australia, fostering a deep commitment to preserving their heritage

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Filipino-Singaporean arts and culture worker Mariam Arcilla has found and is now living what she sees as her true 'calling'—championing Filipino arts and culture through collaboration and connection with fellow Filipino Australian creatives.

"When you hear someone say 'Filipino ka ba?', it gives you that instant connection and everyone will open up their homes or their practices to you and it becomes this instant barkada and gives you that spirit of kapwa,"

Hoping to further enrich Filipino culture in Australia and foster collaboration among fellow Filipino-Australians, Arcilla launched the 'Barkada Index.' in September 2024.

"Barkada Index is an open-access directory on Google Sheets that contains a list of Filipino creatives, and culture workers who want to connect with other Filipinos across Australia or who are working in Australia but are based in the Philippines and elsewhere."

Filipino barkada with Mariam Arcilla (2nd from left) at their Magenta House Shop in Sydney. Credit: Supplied

So far, there are about 120 Filipino-Australian creatives on the list, which aims to connect all Filipinos in the fields including the arts, performance, music, dance, writing, and production.

"If you are Filipino and you are working in the areas of visual art, writing, creative cooking, publishing, performance, music, dance, cultural development and you are of Filipino heritage and you want to be part of a community you add your details there and other people connect with you or you connect with them."

Ms Arcilla hopes more Filipino creatives will reach out to be part of the Index.

From being an art curator to community builder, Mariam Arcilla hopes to see more collaborations and projects with fellow Filipino creatives. Credit: Supplied

"From my work as an art curator before, I was able to build a network of Filipino culture workers, filmmakers, designers, and artists that stirred me away from curating in a gallery to curating in the community.

It's working with artists in a deeply connected way to tell their stories and help profile their practices to the broader community outside the art sector," the former art curator and now community builder shares.

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