Bashar Hanna

Bashar Hanna is a cultural connector who uses the transformative power of the performing arts to create positive social change. Based in Fairfield, Bashar works across education and community settings to build programs that celebrate connection and healing through creativity. Before arriving in Australia, Bashar was an engineer in Iraq. His refugee experience deeply shaped his understanding of displacement and belonging and eventually led him to community arts. When he couldn’t find work in his profession, Bashar turned to music, with his guitar becoming a source of comfort and a pathway to rediscovery. Through this journey, he recognised the power of collective singing and the emotional bonds it fosters. Motivated by a desire to bring people together, Bashar founded The Peacemakers Ensemble and The Choir of Love, community choirs that welcome participants from Fairfield’s diverse Arabic-speaking communities. These choirs offer a safe, compassionate space to share stories, songs, and culture. Bashar says his practice is inspired by “the joy of moving from isolation to engagement” and seeing participants grow in confidence and community belonging through their voices.

In recognition of this work, Bashar was appointed as a Community Fellow of Western Sydney University. He is currently a PhD researcher at Central Queensland University, exploring how arts and culture initiatives can better serve the Iraqi diaspora in Australia. When he’s not facilitating creative projects, you might find Bashar unwinding at Endeavour Park, often with his guitar in hand, surrounded by family and the sounds of Fairfield, a place he describes as “a home to all the cultures of Iraq.”