Doco Series The Swap Premieres 8 March 2023 on SBS

The Swap, a three-part documentary series on SBS, explores what occurs when 12 students and their families from vastly different cultural, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds are forced to live together.

With cameras following six Muslim families, four Catholic families, and two atheist families, this Southern Pictures production aims to bring people of diverse faiths and backgrounds together.

In The Swap, we see if an innovative social experiment involving a school exchange can actually help people from different backgrounds learn to accept and appreciate one another, while also observing the risk of the experiment backfiring as cultures collide and tensions rise.

There are six Muslim families, four Catholic families, and two atheist families taking part. CEO of the Islamic College of Brisbane Ali Kadri is there to share the students’ highs and lows as they spend time at each other’s schools and with each other’s families and communities over the course of a school year.

All of the participants in The Swap have never been in such close proximity to someone with such a radically different worldview before. It’s a bold venture into the unknown with surprising outcomes (including humour, pathos, and emotional resonance), all of which add up to an enlightening and intriguing examination of how little we know about one another and how very different — and similar — we truly are.

Ali Kadri, CEO of the Islamic College of Brisbane says, “This experiment is about acknowledging that we are all different, being proud of the fact that we are different, and respecting each other’s differences. That cannot be done unless we make the decision to move out of our comfort zones and engage with those who are different around us. If the experiment fails, I may find myself out of a job! But this is an experience that has the potential to transform lives, and for that reason I am happy to take this risk. If successful, I’m hoping it could inform our national curriculum and be considered by schools across the country.”

Bernadine Lim, Senior Commissioning Editor, Documentaries, SBS, says, “We’re excited about the potential for The Swap to spark understanding and create positive transformation for all the families involved, and for all Australians who follow their journey. We’ve been given incredible access to this bold community initiative, and we hope the stories and experiences of those involved will encourage discussion, enlighten and inspire audiences. It’s a unique story of contemporary Australia and we’re delighted it is part of SBS’s original documentary offering in 2023.”

The Swap is a Southern Pictures production for SBS. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Financed with support from Screen Queensland.

Airdate: Wednesday 8 March 2023 at 8.30pm on SBS.

Season 1 Episode 1