Audiences are invited into The Third Space A Sacred Place, a powerful new intercultural collaboration uniting musicians from Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Samoan, Papua New Guinean and non-Indigenous traditions for a one-night-only performance.
Produced by community-driven creative arts organisation Topology and Indigenous performing arts company Gaba Musik, The Third Space – A Sacred Place goes beyond a “shared bill” to create music that could only emerge through true partnership and mutual learning.
“The Third Space is about bringing together different cultures, learning about each other and going to a third place together,” says Christa Powell, Topology’s Creative Director. “That’s true collaboration — finding that sacred place where cultures converge to form a new, shared musical language that respects and celebrates each tradition.”
“The Third Space is about trust and connection,” adds Deline Briscoe, a Yalanji woman of song and Co-Director of Gaba Musik. “We want audiences to feel the connectedness that goes beyond simply living on the same land — it’s about coming together and sharing the beauty and strength of relationships built through creativity.”
The evening opens with a Welcome to Country by Yuggera Elder Gaja Kerry and singer Kaylah Coghill. Deline is then joined on stage by a diverse lineup including Jungaji, Kristal West, Yirrmal, Airileke and Taitu’uga Kitchener Wesche, alongside Brisbane’s genre-defying quintet Topology.
Each artist draws on their own cultural roots, language and stories, creating an eclectic soundscape where ancient songlines meet contemporary forms. Jazz, classical, soul, folk, country and roots are interwoven with traditional sounds including Samoan chants and Papua New Guinean log drumming.
Exploring themes such as cultural identity, connection to Country and responsibilities to family, community and each other, the 90-minute performance will unfold as a single, seamless journey.
“The show will be continuous, with no interval or breaks for applause — any talking will be part of the flow,” says Christa. “It’s not about telling the audience how we collaborate, but showing them. We want them to learn through feeling, through visceral experience.”
“It’s also about introducing audiences to different sounds and cultures,” adds Deline. “While everyone will experience the same concert, each person will experience it differently and take away something unique.”
The Third Space breaks away from surface-level approaches to intercultural collaboration. It builds on six years of work by Topology and Gaba Musik to develop a distinctive method in which First Nations artists share their traditional and lived stories through original songs, guided by Gaba Musik and enriched by Topology’s musical arrangements.
“The Third Space culminates a long journey of exploring what intercultural collaboration can be,” says Deline. “Each new collaboration strengthens the integrity of the process.”
“For non-Indigenous Australians, it’s about discovering more about our own land and history, and about the different ways people approach music,” adds Christa. “Two people can play the same note and make it sound completely different — yet still fit together seamlessly. That’s the beauty of true collaboration.”
Audiences can experience The Third Space – A Sacred Place at 7pm on Monday 3 November at The Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba. Tickets range from $25–$62.95 and are available now online.
Date: Monday 3 November 2025
Time: 7:00pm (doors open 6:00pm)
Length: Approx. 90 minutes (no interval)
Venue: The Princess Theatre 8 Annerley Rd, Woolloongabba QLD
Tickets: $38.95 Concession | $62.95 Standard
About Topology
Topology is a Brisbane-based not for profit organisation, operating successfully for over 25 years.
Established in 1997, Topology are leaders in musical creativity in Australia, prolific creators of new original work, expert collaborators across genres and art forms and award-winning music educators.
Nominated for a 2014 ARIA Award for Best Classical Album (Share House), Topology has a well-established reputation for their signature work. The quintet experiments with surprising combinations of music genres, theatrical staging and cross art form collaborations to create exciting, thought-provoking music experiences for audiences of all ages, backgrounds and tastes.
Resident Artist at Brisbane Powerhouse for 18 years, Topology has released 15 albums, produced countless evening-length works, presented an award-winning concert series, and toured extensively nationally and internationally.
The Third Space – A Sacred Place reflects Topology’s commitment to community-led creative work and its groundbreaking approach to intercultural collaboration, which began in 2008 with on-Country creative boot camps at Normanby Station (Queensland). In partnership with Gaba Musik, Topology has since led major projects including:
● Singing Up Country at the Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival (2022–24)
● Three Generations, Three Songs at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (2024)
● Looking Forward, Looking Back at the North Australian Festival of Arts (2024)