Celebrate First Nations arts and culture with your family at Clancestry for Kids at QPAC this August 2026. Held at South Brisbane, this free, family-friendly weekend event offers interactive children’s activities, including circus workshops, cultural crafts, and face painting, making it a perfect educational day out for local Brisbane kids.
Clancestry for Kids 2026
Clancestry for Kids returns on the 1st & 2nd August 2026 in a program of First Nations arts and culture at QPAC.
Join in for a weekend of vibrant culture, creativity, and family fun as we celebrate First Nations art, stories, and community with Clancestry for Kids! As part of Clancestry’s Festival Ground, this free, family-friendly event transforms South Bank’s Cultural Forecourt into a vibrant space filled with art, music, and playful discovery.
Kids can enjoy Face Painting with Kaylah Coghill, step inside the TribalLink Cultural Discovery Van for an immersive cultural experience, get hands-on with cultural crafts with Deadly Kindies Arts and Crafts, weave their own mini dilly bag at Queensland Museum’s Dilly Bag Lab, go on an exciting hide-and-seek adventure in Find Our Friends, try circus tricks at The Big Little Circus Workshop with Flipside Circus, and witness the spectacular performance Birmba.
Whether you’re enjoying live performances, playing games, creating art, or connecting with culture, Clancestry for Kids is a fun day out you and your little ones won’t want to miss – perfect for all ages!
Face Painting with Kaylah Coghill 10am to 4pm
A favourite with children and families, the face painting activity returns to celebrate creativity and colourful designs inspired by storytelling, identity and community spirit. This year’s experience is led by local First Nations artist Kaylah Coghill, a Yagara/Koenpul woman from Nginila and Tjerangari, which is Inala and Stradbroke Island. She is a direct descendant of the Yagara peoples of Magandjin, who are the traditional custodians of Brisbane as well as the Koenpul peoples of Quandamooka, who are the traditional custodians of the Moreton Bay region. Kaylah is a teacher aide who works in her local community of Inala. She has spent the last years raising her two children and working within the local communities of Magandjin teaching Indigenous workshops on art, music, language and dancing. She has also participated in many creative community and council projects in and around the Inala area, working with Elders, teens and young children.
TribalLink’s Cultural Discovery Van 10am to 4pm
Step inside the TribalLink Cultural Discovery Van – a vibrant space filled with cultural resources, art and artefacts. Experience First Nations culture through stories, song, music, dance and hands-on discovery. An immersive experience you can touch, taste, feel, hear and see.
Deadly Kindies Arts and Crafts 10am to 4pm
Get crafty with Deadly Kindies! Presented by the Early Childhood team at the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, explore cultural art activities to keep your jarjum happy. There will be scratch art, beading, colouring in and books to enjoy. And don’t forget to add your very own cardboard hand to the Deadly Kids Community board and be a part of our everlasting legacy.
Queensland Museum’s Dilly Bag Lab 10am to 4pm
Dilly Bag Lab is a hands-on creative workshop where people of all ages and abilities can explore the art of bag making inspired by Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dilly bags. Participants design and create their own mini dilly bag using a mix of natural fibres – such as pandanus, raffia and emu feathers – alongside contemporary craft materials. Once your bag is made, you can put it to the test! How much weight can your dilly bag hold? What kinds of special items might it carry? Dilly Bag Lab blends culture, creativity and curiosity, offering a space to learn by making, experimenting and discovery.
Find Our Friends 10am to 4pm
Meet our deadly friends – Gooril, Gudya, Pow-Why, Binkin and Gargarra. They are so excited to play hide and seek with you all! They have hidden themselves around the Green, waiting for you to come and find them. And don’t forget – if you find them all, you will receive a temporary tattoo! Find Our Friends teaches children the history and cultural knowledge about Brisbane and its fauna by combining traditional animal names with the well-known children’s game of hide and seek.
The Big Little Circus Workshop 10am to 4pm
Roll up and try something new! Drop into Flipside Circus’ hands-on circus workshops and spin a plate, twirl a hoop, or learn a trick or two – led by Flipside’s young performers and experienced trainers. These short, fun-filled sessions are perfect for wee ones and their grown-ups alike.
Birmba 10:30am and 2pm
As a once-in-a-century event is fast approaching, Kukubaka, the lively chatterbox, Junkurrji, the strong and steady protector, and Junkaji, the wise one, encourage audiences to connect and re-ground. Guided by knowledge passed down from generation to generation and deep listening, will the collective voice and spirit save their fellow rainforest jawun (friends)? Touching on comradeship, loss and strength in numbers, this multi-layered interactive theatrical experience invites audiences of all ages to witness a story of resilience, responsibility, and belonging. Birmba speaks to the importance of coming together in times of change, reminding us that when voices rise in harmony, they can protect, heal, and guide the future. Written by Merindi Schrieber. Anyone under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult.
Plan your visit
When: Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August 2026 from 10am
Where: Melbourne Street Green, QPAC, South Brisbane
Cost: Free
For more information here.
