Semi Permanent 2022

Overview

A huge milestone birthday, a homecoming, and a stacked lineup filled with top talent from the creativity, design and technology fields: that's what's on Semi Permanent's agenda this year. A go-to event for all things design-related, the festival will return to Sydney's Carriageworks for three days between Wednesday, May 25–Friday, May 27 — and while impressive lineups always go with the territory here, this year's bill stands out in plenty of ways. Firstly, it's the event's biggest program ever.

The theme for Semi Permanent's 2022 fest, which also marks its 20th anniversary, is 'perspective'. As founder and executive creative director Murray Bell explains, "2022 is a demarcation in the evolution of both our purpose and our organisation."

To help sort through the theme, more than 25 speakers have been announced — spanning everything from journalism and film through to art and typography. Attendees will be able to hear from the folks behind The Betoota Advocate; learn more female-driven on-screen storytelling from Dollhouse Pictures co-founders Gracie Otto, Krew Boylan and Jessica Carrera; and glean insights from boundary-pushing creative director, journalist and strategist Royce Akers.

The hefty lineup of talent will anchor Semi Permanent's talks program, of course, but the fest is keen to expand its format even further in its big birthday year. That includes the launch of the Permanent Art and Design Book Fair, which'll bring together more than 30 leading publishers, artists and designers — and, for your reading pile, will showcase hundreds of books, magazines, zines, posters and digital editions, spanning both new and previously unseen works.

Toby Peet