Where Shadows Sleep is an evening of storytelling, folklore, and fairytales filled with interactive workshops, performances, and activities. Discover folktales that aren’t commonly heard of, and how each story told to us as kids shaped how we grew up.
Program
Performances
Folk Spirits: A Showcase of Muslim Australian Poetry by Sweatshop Writers (7 - 8pm)
Listen to the spoken word of seven writers from the recently released ‘Ritual’ by Sweatshop, a collection featuring some of Sydney’s most exciting Muslim voices.
Poets include; Mualla Aydoğan, Adrian Mouhajer, Rania Omar, Meyrnah Khodr, Yahya Djomani-Ousmane, Ferdous Bahar, and Mohammad Awad.
50 free copies of Ritual will be up for grabs after this showcase, get in early to avoid disappointment!
What do spirits say to each other? Musical Performance by Maissa Alameddine and Andrea Lim (8:20 - 8:50pm)
Maissa and Andrea will present an improvised experimental set, weaving sound and text inspired by interpretations of unverified stories from their homelands.
Dance Performance by Annabel Hom, Sovanarry Chan and Maggie Tra (Sessions: 6:20 - 6:30pm, 8:10 - 8:20pm, and 8:50 - 9:00pm)
Mixing Cambodian classical dance with modern and electronic renditions of Khmer music, Annabel Hom and Sovanarry Chan offer audiences a glimpse into the ancient Cambodian dance practice. In this series of dance performances, with music by Maggie Tra, the trio investigates how diasporic groups can reclaim lost spirituality and rituals.
Interactive Engagements
Coffee Readings with Nicole Barakat (6 - 9pm)
Hailing from the small agricultural village of Kfarsghab, in the northern mountains of Lebanon, Nicole Barakat draws on her rich ancestral wisdom and intuition in her divination work.
Share a cup of coffee with Nicole as she offers you a reading; an invitation to share, listen, reflect and be curious of the unknown. Spots are limited, sign up on the day.
Soft Body Rituals by Wendy Zhang & Galiba (6:30 - 7pm, self-guided from 7 - 9pm)
Wendy Qi Zhang and Galiba present Soft Body Ritual, a reimagining of the Chinese tea ceremony as an immersive fusion of guided meditation and live DJ ambient soundscapes. Participants are invited into a liminal space of embodied listening, where gestures of tea ritual unfold alongside evolving layers of sound. Guided by the concept of the “Soft Body”, a fluid, ever-changing self, the meditation invites stillness, sensory awareness, and quiet connection. Through this shared ritual, Soft Body Ritual welcomes our many selves to arrive, listen, and be present together.
Workshops
Talisman for Creative Energy with Svetlana Panov (6 - 9pm)
Create your own personalised talisman, by rolling, cutting and shaping clay that inspires creative energy and encourages the process of setting intentions.
Whether it be letting go, starting something new, or honouring age-old traditions.
Sigils for Protection with Celine Cheung (6 - 9pm)
Create a wearable sigil inspired by magic and folktales, that can be made into a brooch or hanging ornament. Design your own or reference symbols that hold special meaning to you.
Origami inspired by works of Louise Zhang. (6 - 9pm)
Learn how to fold little packets, or a Chinese style vase to collect and keep seeds in. Take a reflective moment in this drop-in workshop inspired by the exhibition, Louise Zhang: Celestial Tapestry.
Enjoy the creative and mindful experience of origami paper folding within the gallery walls.
Date: Saturday, 25 October 2025
Time: 6 - 9pm
Location: Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, 634 The Horsley Drive, Smithfield NSW 2164 - entry via Oxford Street.
Price: FREE, registrations required. Food available for purchase, light refreshements provided.
Note: This is not a part of our annual childrens halloween event.
Limited parking available onsite, street parking available on Oxford Street.
Fairfield City Museum & Gallery is wheelchair accessible to most spaces, please contact staff at 02 9725 0190 or at fcmg@fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au for more information.
Fairfield City Museum & Gallery is a part of ACON's Welcome Here project. The health and well-being of our community is a top priority for us.
This project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.