Join us for an unforgettable evening of powerful stories, great food, meaningful connections, fundraising and celebration, all in support of people and communities affected by refugee trauma.

Every year, the STARTTS Refugee Ball brings together refugee communities, business, government, health, education, community leaders and supporters for one very special night.

In 2026, around 450 guests will come together not only to raise vital funds, but to hear directly from people with lived experience and celebrate the strength, contribution and potential of refugee communities.

What Comes Next? Refugee Transitions

For someone forced to leave their country, arriving safely isn’t the end of the story.

For a young person leaving childhood, becoming an adult doesn’t automatically mean they have the support, opportunities or connections they need for the future.

Transitions matter. What happens next matters.

This year’s Refugee Ball will explore what helps people move beyond survival to find their place, their voice and their future. Because the refugee story doesn’t end with survival or resettlement. What becomes possible next matters too.

The Refugee Ball is proudly presented in partnership with Friends of STARTTS
Friends of STARTTS (FOS) is an Australian registered charity that supports the work of STARTTS (Services for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors) and refugee transition programs.

Collective Threads: Finding Your Voice

We’re delighted to welcome artist Kathrin Longhurst and Naz Jebeli for a special keynote conversation centred around Collective Threads: a powerful multidisciplinary project using portraiture, film and poetry to amplify Iranian-Australian voices.

With Naz’s lived experience at the heart of the conversation, we’ll explore another version of What Comes Next?

Displacement → arriving in Australia → finding voice and belonging → becoming a storyteller → using that voice for others.

Guests will experience the Collective Threads documentary and artworks as part of an intimate conversation about displacement, identity, belonging and what it means to reclaim your voice and use it for others.

Kathrin Longhurst

Contemporary Artist and Activist

Kathrin Longhurst is a contemporary artist and fearless storyteller whose work explores freedom, identity, and resilience. Born in East Berlin during the Cold War, her escape to the West at age 15 profoundly shaped her artistic vision and ignited a lifelong commitment to self expression.

Fusing classical realism with vintage propaganda imagery, her expansive paintings create bold feminist statements that celebrate women’s autonomy and strength. Beyond the canvas, Longhurst is a dedicated activist deeply committed to supporting displaced peoples and refugees, using her platform to amplify women’s stories of survival.

Based in Sydney, her work is collected globally. She is the winner of the 2021 Archibald Packing Room Prize and a frequent finalist in prestigious competitions, including the Archibald Prize and the Portia Geach Memorial Award.

Naz Jebeli

Documentary Maker and Entrepreneur

Naz Jebeli is a Sydney based documentary maker and the founder of JEBELI, a handmade leather and jewellery label. Arriving as a refugee in 2013, she spent almost five years in detention, including time on Nauru. This profound lived experience deeply shapes her creative vision and her dedication to exploring themes of displacement, resilience, and identity.

Bringing a bilingual Farsi and English perspective to her craft, she cofounded Light Records Pictures to amplify communities that are too often unheard. Her work includes the upcoming documentary Exile Beyond the Sea and a special film for Kathrin Longhurst’s Collective Threads exhibition, which highlights the voices of Iranian Australian women.

For Naz, storytelling is a powerful and profound act of care. It serves as a vital way to restore dignity, build connection, and foster a lasting sense of belonging for displaced people.

Where Your Support Goes

Investing in Young People’s Futures

Our local fundraising focus this year is on young people from refugee backgrounds making the transition from childhood into adulthood.

As young people leave school and childhood behind, some of the structures and support around them can begin to fall away, just as they are navigating education, employment, independence, identity and their future.

Funds raised through the Ball will help STARTTS create youth leadership opportunities and camps that build confidence, connection, skills and leadership.

We don’t simply want to stop young people from slipping through the cracks. We want to give them the opportunity to lead.

Young people will also take to the stage on the night to share their own experiences, ideas and ambitions, bringing their voices directly to an audience of hundreds of people from across NSW.

A Global Impact

The Refugee Ball also supports the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) and its global network of rehabilitation centres working with survivors of torture around the world.

STARTTS is a longstanding member of the IRCT network, and each year the Ball gives us an opportunity to look beyond NSW and support the extraordinary work being done by organisations assisting survivors in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

By joining us, you’re helping support recovery and possibility both here at home and internationally.

Can’t Attend? You Can Still Make a Lasting Impact.

Even if you’re unable to join us in person for the 2026 Refugee Ball, your support can still transform lives.

By donating today, you directly fund STARTTS’ vital programs, helping refugees and asylum seekers heal from trauma, rebuild their lives, and thrive in our communities. Every contribution, big or small, plays a crucial role in championing human rights and fostering hope.

*STARTTS is a registered charity and all donations over $2 are tax deductible.*

Partner With Us in 2026

Embrace the Cause, Elevate Your Brand

Become a champion for human rights and support the vital work of STARTTS by sponsoring the 2026 Refugee Ball. We invite you to choose a partnership package that aligns with your organisation’s goals, allowing you to gain valuable benefits while making a lasting impact on the lives of refugees.

The Ball brings together a diverse crowd of guests from refugee communities, business, government, health, education and the community sector. Through more than 35 years of uninterrupted service, STARTTS has built close connections with community leaders from across the spectrum, and many of these leaders and members of their communities attend the Ball every year.