Beyond the Festival Poster: The Spirit of Immersia
What does it mean to live in a truly multicultural world? For the ANU School of Culture, History & Language—part of the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific—the answer isn’t found in a lecture hall. It unfolds in a board game night where Mahjong tiles click across the table, in a Mongolian ger filled with song, in the aroma of Japanese tea whisked to froth, and in the rhythm of a martial art carried across centuries.
Immersia, the School’s annual festival of ideas and traditions, is less about spectacle and more about connection. Conceived within CHL as an experiment in cultural engagement, its driving question is simple: can a university create a space where cultures aren’t just studied, but lived, felt, and playfully shared?
Philosophy in Practice: Reimagining Multiculturalism
At the heart of Immersia is a philosophy of ‘changing how we view multiculturalism.’ It isn’t about showcasing culture from a distance—it’s about stepping into it. Guests are invited not to simply observe—rather, they sip the tea, speak in the language, move to the rhythms. In 2024, attendees immersed themselves in Japanese tea ceremonies and Zen meditation, dug into traditional cuisine, and tried their hands at traditional games.
This hands-on approach shifts Immersia from passive display to active engagement—bridging academic insight with lived experience.
Each year builds on the last—not in repetition, but in reach and depth. From core workshops in 2022 to a full cultural kaleidoscope in 2024, Immersia continues to evolve in scale, creativity, and community engagement.
Collaboration at the Core: Building Together Inside and Out
Perhaps Immersia’s most striking feature is how it's woven by collaboration. Internally, it brings together CHL scholars, student groups, and peers from across the ANU College to co-create experiences.
What began in 2022 as a modest suite of cultural workshops now stands as a campus-wide event. In 2023, Immersia ran for 25 days and hosted 43 events, drawing over 1,150 participants. By 2024 it had expanded further: over two vibrant weeks, the festival delivered 50 varied events, garnered more than 1,500 registrations, and worked with over 20 different collaborators. Externally, Immersia reaches far beyond the campus. In 2024, collaborations spanned government and cultural institutions: the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, embassies (notably Indonesian and Mongolian), the National Museum, and Canberra’s multicultural and creative organizations were all involved.
In 2024, partners included the ANU Gender Institute, ANU Student Life, the National Centre for Biography, Menzies Library, and multiple regional and cultural programs. This year too, we are building on the collaborative approach, featuring Canberra-wide collaborations with the likes of Cafe Stepping Stone, ACT Desi, Naadam Restaurant and Smiths Alternative.
From board game nights featuring Asian and Pacific classics, to Chin Lone (Burmese cane soccer) and gamelan performances, Immersia thrives on the collective energy it sparks—and on the people who build it.
What’s Brewing at 2025 Immersia
This year, Immersia truly brings its philosophy to life. A community-led Mongolian Ger Installation sets the stage—an evocative moment that unites history, hospitality, and craftsmanship.
Across the fortnight, stories take centre stage—from Chai, Chat & Change with Australian Local Heroes Vanessa Brettell and Hannah Costello, to cinematic reflections at Movies at Menzies, including Tinpis Run—Papua New Guinea’s first-ever feature film, marking 50 years of independence—alongside the Papua New Guinea Slideshow, which showcases rare historical images and moments from the nation’s past. Research showcases also highlight fresh perspectives on Asia and the Pacific.
Craft and tradition pulse through the program: brush strokes meet meditation in Tibetan calligraphy sessions, reflective pause unfolds in workshops on Buddhist philosophy, Japanese tea ceremonies invite serene connection, and Lippan Indian clay art demonstrates how communities transform earth into beauty.
And because culture is also tasted as much as seen, Immersia 2025 serves up shared meals and food experiences that carry flavours—and stories—across borders.
Across these moments—be it story, craft, film, food, or movement—Immersia 2025 invites all to step in, embrace, and experience multicultural worlds—lived, not just observed.
A Living Experiment in Culture
Far more than just a festival, Immersia is a living experiment—one where cultural exchange ceases to be a concept and becomes a shared experience. Each year, it grows richer in voice, broader in reach, and deeper in connection. It exemplifies how scholarship and play, tradition and innovation, diversity and inclusion can intertwine to spark genuine understanding.
Immersia isn’t a showcase—it’s a space of living culture. And as each edition unfolds, it continues to rewrite the story of how a university community can connect with the vast tapestry of Asia and the Pacific—one playful exchange, one shared story, one experience at a time.
Come along and experience culture and learning - immersive style. View the program here.
