Free-doom Down Under: Sulochana Dissanayake on theatre, identity and empathy

11/11/2025 16 min
Free-doom Down Under: Sulochana Dissanayake on theatre, identity and empathy

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Episode Synopsis

In 2024, artist Sulochana Dissanayake, her husband Dinuka Liyanawatte and their two children moved from Sri Lanka to Australia seeking stability and a spark in the arts landscape. A year on, Sulochana and Dinuka's experiences settling as skilled migrants have inspired their latest artistic collaboration 'Free-doom Down Under' that explores the negotiations new migrants silently confront. The theatre creator unravels with Suhayla Sharif how art has anchored her career and nourishing South Asian cultural health in Australia. SBS Spice attended the OzAsia Festival, thanks to the festival organisers.