November 2, 2026
Culturally responsive practice is grounded in more than 30 years of educational research. It recognises that people’s cultural backgrounds influence how they learn and interact, and that responding effectively across cultural differences is a skill we can develop.
Whether you work in education, business, healthcare or the community, greater cultural responsiveness expands our understanding, strengthens our relationships and creates safer and more vibrant settings for everyone.
This month, we also mourn the loss of two people who made significant contributions to Cultural Infusion and the broader community: Dr Colin Benjamin and Matt Fagan.
We invite you to discover our new Culturally Responsive Teaching courses and explore the other ways Cultural Infusion can support you in building greater cultural capability in your own workplace or community.
Education & Experiences
How We Respond Matters
The Culturally Responsive Teaching Professional Development program aims to give educators practical ideas and skills for today’s superdiverse classrooms. Grounded in Cultural Infusion’s unique, multidimensional approach to cultural identity and designed for application across diverse international education systems, this six-course program for primary and secondary educators draws on decades of experience and the latest pedagogical research.
The first two courses are available now through Cultural Infusion’s Learning Hub, with OpenLearning Marketplace access coming soon.
Each course takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete and is flexible and self-paced.
In these courses we explore what it might mean and how we can skilfully approach it if:
- A student is reluctant to speak in front of the class
- A student refuses to follow a school rule.
- A teacher interprets quietness as disengagement.
- Parents rarely respond to school emails.
- A student is struggling to fit in.
- A student’s cultural knowledge isn’t recognised in classroom learning.
- A family rarely engages with the school community.
And much more!
Each of the six courses offers educators:
- practical classroom scenarios
- Cultural Infusion’s original practical conceptual frameworks
- concise conceptual insights, including the latest pedagogical frameworks
- reflection activities
- strategies you can apply immediately
- motivational videos featuring Cultural Infusion voices
- a certificate on completion
Access to courses available NOW through Cultural Infusion’s Learning Hub and available soon through OpenLearning.
Sumardi’s Australian Tour: a Cultural Homecoming
Dalang Sumardi’s Australian tour has begun with warmly received performances and workshops on Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands[NL1] [AF2] , marking the start of a cultural journey across multiple Australian states.
The Cocos visit holds particular significance, reconnecting the community with Wayang Kulit, a tradition once woven into island life but not performed by a local dalang for more than 75 years. How fitting that the ABC wrote a piece about this very significant tour on 17 October, a date marked by UNESCO as International Day of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This is Sumardi’s 13th Australian tour with Cultural Infusion across 21 years, accompanied this year by Demetrius Mousaferiadis. We are grateful to Sumardi for 21 years of friendship, dedication and extraordinary cultural generosity. Thanks also to the communities of the Cocos and Christmas Islands.
This is Sumardi’s 13th Australian tour with Cultural Infusion across 21 years, accompanied this year by Demetrius Mousaferiadis. We are grateful to Sumardi for 21 years of friendship, dedication and extraordinary cultural generosity. Thanks also to the communities of the Cocos and Christmas Islands.
Cultural Infusion Foundation Internships & Fellowships Program
Partnership with MASCA Victoria
Cultural Infusion Foundation Australia is pleased to partner with the Malaysian Student Council of Australia (MASCA) Victoria for NextGen 2026, an initiative connecting university students and recent graduates with employers and industry professionals.
Through this collaboration, Cultural Infusion’s Internship & Fellowship Programme will be promoted in the event’s networking space, introducing students and graduates to opportunities for practical experience, professional development and career growth.
The Atlas Platform
Survey Builder
Cultural Infusion Atlas’s survey library contains Atlas Core, PCI and AIRI surveys, and a modern take on engagement and pulse surveys. Cultural Infusion spoke with more than 100 HR Leaders globally and the overwhelming messages were:
Engagement surveys aren’t very engaging
The staff aren’t being asked questions they want to be asked.
Trust in HR systems is low.
AI reporting is dull.
The scores don’t mean much to anyone.
The leaders aren’t getting answers to their most pressing questions.
Data security / protection of identity awareness is super high.
They’d rather a ‘culture’ score than any other score; one that captures behaviours, values and real-world experiences.
Cultural Infusion has developed a set of survey questions that are so different and relevant that most staff actually want to answer them. Want to see for yourself?
Key Events
AISA CyberCon 2026 (Melbourne), 15 October
As AI takes over entry-level work, the skills that matter most when hiring are not technical but critical thinking and interpersonal skills, according to Cultural Infusion’s CTO Rezza Moieni, who gave two talks at Australia’s premier cyber security conference, AISA CyberCon 2026, in Melbourne on 15 October.
Big Data LDN (London), 23-24 September
Kasia Hayward represented Cultural Infusion at Big Data LDN 2026 on the panel Data for Good: Building a Better Future with Data, AI and Human Judgement, exploring how organisations can pair data and AI with human insight.
AI2030 Summit (New York), 15 September
When AI can think, coordinate and act: what will the world look like in 2030? Cultural Infusion’s VP of Innovation and Impact Ben Christensen facilitated a session exploring this question at the AI 2030 Summit in New York.
Melbourne Build Expo, 25-26 November
Will you be joining Cultural Infusion CEO Peter Mousaferiadis at this industry event, which is open to the public for free? He will be taking the stage to share some thoughts on inclusion and culture in an industry that affects everyone and has taken great strides forward in recent years.
Peter will be involved in 2 sessions:
- Recruiting, Training, and Retaining the Leaders of Tomorrow (Panelist)
- ‘Strengthening First Nations Pathways in Construction’ (Moderator)
Voices of Cultural Infusion
- Cultural Data Infrastructure: The Missing Layer in AI’s Infrastructure Era: Peter Mousaferiadis on building cultural data infrastructure into AI design, ahead of Tech Week Singapore. Read more
- The Problem with Collective Guilt: Peter Mousaferiadis on 3AW’s Drive program with Jacqui Felgate, 16 October. Listen here
- The Cultural Age: We celebrate the latest book by our longtime friend D. Paul Schafer, endorsed by Peter Mousaferiadis. Find out more
- Am I Misreading My Students’ Behaviour? Intern Libby Pachul on reading the classroom through a cultural lens. Read more
- How Can We control AI? Ben Christensen on cultural intelligence and AI, in the AI and Faith podcast. Listen here
In Memoriam
This month Cultural Infusion and its Foundation mourn the passing of two people who made profound contributions to our organisation and the broader culture.
Dr Colin Benjamin
A deeply valued Chair of the Cultural Infusion Foundation Board of Directors for nearly 15 years, Dr Benjamin had a long and varied career in public service and the not-for-profit sector, contributing to community organisations and initiatives including the Life. Be in it. campaign, which he supported from its inception in 1975 (see pic below showing him dressed as Norm).
Peter Mousaferiadis refers to him as ‘a brilliant mind, a dear friend and a fierce agent of change.’ In Peter’s words:
In 2012, at the last of our nine Australia Day concerts I produced at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, we paid tribute to the television jingles and campaigns that generations of Australians had grown up watching, hearing and singing along to. And who should make a cameo appearance in the final moments? Colin himself, dressed in Norm’s unmistakable outfit. It was a wonderful moment, made all the more memorable by seeing the man behind the campaign become the character himself. But Colin’s contribution extended far beyond the campaigns that made him famous. Over some four decades, he developed ColourGrid, a remarkable framework exploring how human beings think, make decisions, respond to change and interact with one another. Built around 16 colour-coded thinking patterns, his work found applications in leadership, recruitment, organisational culture, career development and behavioural change.
Colin was endlessly curious about the human condition and never stopped searching for ways to better understand it. To say that rubbed off on me is an understatement. What I will miss most, however, are our conversations. His ability to challenge my thinking, to see possibilities where others saw obstacles, and to remind me, sometimes rather bluntly, that there was always another way of looking at things. Colin was not interested in telling people what they wanted to hear. He was interested in making them think. And I was fortunate to be on the receiving end of that wisdom for twenty years.
Cultural Infusion extends sincere condolences to Dr Benjamin’s family, friends and colleagues and remembers his significant contribution with respect and gratitude.
Matthew Fagan
It is with equal sadness that Cultural Infusion acknowledges the passing of Matthew Fagan, a supremely talented guitarist, composer, musical director and a cherished friend and collaborator of Cultural Infusion.
Peter Mousaferiadis first met Matt when he was a young student at the Victorian College of the Arts. It was the beginning of a creative relationship that would span decades, bringing together a shared love of music, cultural expression and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when musical traditions meet.
Over the years, Matt and Peter worked closely together on much-loved Fairfield Amphitheatre Concerts and countless major productions, including the Parliament of World Religions. Matt served as musical director for four of the nine Australia Day Concerts produced under Peter’s artistic direction, helping bring together musicians and performers from diverse cultural traditions in celebrations of Australia’s rich cultural tapestry.
Matt’s Celtic Suite for Orchestra, his first orchestral composition, was first conducted by Peter with the Orana Chamber Orchestra and performed at Government House in Melbourne. It was a beautiful expression of Matt’s ability to move effortlessly between musical worlds, weaving tradition, innovation and his own distinctive musical voice into something entirely his own.
Matt was a musician of extraordinary versatility. Equally at home with classical, flamenco, Celtic, jazz and contemporary music, his virtuosity on the guitar was matched by an insatiable curiosity and openness to the musical traditions of the world.
His remarkable career took him to more than 120 countries, performing alongside some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Billy Connolly, Natalie Cole, Shirley Bassey, Michael Crawford and the Buena Vista Social Club. Beyond the international stages and accolades was a musician who understood that music is much more than performance. It is a language through which people could connect, communicate and find common ground. Billy Connolly described Matt as the best touring artist he’s ever travelled with.
Matt embodied one of Cultural Infusion’s core beliefs: that culture is not something static to be preserved behind glass, but is living, evolving and enriched through exchange.
His passing is a profound loss to Australia’s musical community and to all those whose lives were touched by his artistry.
For Peter and the many musicians and colleagues who worked alongside him, Matt leaves behind a body of music and memories of remarkable collaborations, friendships forged through creativity and the joy of making music together.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Matt’s partner Kellie, his family, friends and the countless musicians and audiences whose lives he enriched.
Peter writes:
The final notes may have sounded, but the music, the memories and the connections Matt created will continue to resonate for generations.
Vale, Matt. Thank you for the music, the friendship and the extraordinary journey.
Calendar Spotlight
3 November 2026: Bunka no Hi (Culture Day)
First established in 1648, Culture Day, or Bunka no Hi (文化の日), is a national holiday in Japan dedicated to celebrating culture, the arts, and academic achievement. It’s a perfect opportunity for schools and communities to explore Japanese traditions, creativity and cultural expression.
Why Celebrate Culture Day in Your School or Community?
Celebrating Culture Day is a powerful way to:
- Enhance Japanese language (LOTE) programs
- Deepen understanding of Japanese history and traditions
- Support the Australian Curriculum’s Intercultural Capability
- Promote cultural awareness and global citizenship
- Engage students through hands-on activities and live demonstrations
Japanese Cultural Workshops We Offer
Bring the spirit of Culture Day to life with immersive, curriculum-aligned programs:
- Taiko Drumming (VIC, WA, QLD)
Experience traditional Japanese culture through music and language as the room shakes with the sound of the Taiko Drumming performances. - Japanese Infusion (VIC, NSW, WA, Virtual)
This program introduces students of all ages to Japanese culture through a mixture of song and dance, storytelling and art. - Japanese Calligraphy (VIC, QLD, WA)
Learn the traditions and techniques of Shodo – Japan’s ancient art of calligraphy – as a skilled calligrapher introduces the history and origins of calligraphy through various brush techniques and calligraphy styles.
Book a Workshop or Event for Japan’s Culture Day
Bring authentic Japanese cultural experiences to your school or community on or around 3 November.
Thanks for reading! Be culturally responsive, be well, and see you next month!
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