Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab
The Esme Timbery Creative Practice Lab (CPL) is the creative heart of UNSW’s School of the Arts & Media. Home to the Io Myers Studio and Studio One, the CPL brings students, artists, researchers and industry together to explore performance, film, music, and cross-disciplinary experimentation. Creativity and innovation thrive across teaching, research, and industry collaboration, with public events providing a vital connection point for the wider community to engage with the work developed here.
About the Creative Practice Lab (CPL)
Creativity in Action: Home to performance, research and public events.
CPL is a living creative ecosystem, where students collaborate with artists and industry practitioners who actively use the space to make new work. This ongoing exchange enriches teaching and research, builds professional networks, and ensures our students leave with the skills and connections to thrive in the creative sector. With an ethos of experimentation and innovation, the focus is on practice-based learning and projects with public-facing outcomes.
The CPL is also the gateway to SAM’s external partnerships, festivals and organisations within the creative industries, establishing networks for future employment opportunities across Australia’s creative industries.
Honouring Aunty Esme Timbery
Celebrating the legacy of a remarkable artist and Elder.
In 2019, the Creative Practice Lab was named in honour of Aunty Esme Timbery (1931–2023), her family, and the Bidjigal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which the building stands. Aunty Esme was a celebrated Bidjigal artist and Elder from the La Perouse Aboriginal community, best known for her intricate shell work of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Her practice continues through her daughter Marilyn Russell and the La Perouse women, whose shellwork embodies deep cultural connection and resilience. Visitors can view works by Aunty Esme and Marilyn in the ETCPL foyer, a living reminder of the strength and continuity of Bidjigal creativity.
Creative practice and research
The ETCPL supports practice-led teaching and research across theatre, performance, music, and screen. Our staff are industry professionals — filmmakers, producers, theatre-makers, and designers collaborating with students and researchers to develop and present new creative work.
About us
UNSW School of the Arts & Media is a leading centre for research and teaching in creative arts. Learn more about us and our people, courses, research and events.
Venues & hires
Our venues and resources support coursework, research, and creative development within the School, and are available for hire. We offer flexible performance and rehearsal venues, costumes, sets, props and technical resources, professional production and technical support.
Partnerships & programs
We work with industry partners from artist development to production, and incorporate artist processes and outcomes into teaching and research.