Media Release
Eight Project Grants have been awarded more than $180,000 in funding through the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, delivered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.
Australian Government Minister for the Arts, the Hon Tony Burke MP, congratulated the recipients and their contributions to regional Australia’s arts scene, saying
“There’s a place for every story and a story for every place and our regional artists are critical in ensuring Australian stories are told across the country.
“Boosting the cultural infrastructure of those communities means regional arts will go from strength to strength.
“This funding shines a light on projects across the country, helping regional artists reach new audiences within their communities and beyond.”
Director, Communications and Engagement at Regional Arts Victoria, Kate Gerritsen thanked everyone who applied in this round and acknowledged the importance of funding in supporting the creative sector in Victoria.
“Creativity fundamentally changes communities. That’s why the Regional Arts Fund matters and why getting it right matters even more.
We’re proud to partner with the Australian Government to bring this funding to Victoria, and deeply grateful to the independent panellists who gave their time and expertise. The applicants raised the bar.
Together, they’ve set these projects up to make real change — not just for the artists involved, but for the regions that will benefit for years to come.”
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. The program is managed by Regional Arts Australia and administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.
Please see the full list and description below of all recipients. Information regarding upcoming rounds will be made available here: Regional Arts Fund
2026 SUCCESSFUL PROJECT GRANT APPLICANTS (Round 1)
Archer Broughton
Hepburn Shire
$30,000
Archer’s Love Songs from The Divine Church of the Open Sky – Big Brass Band Regional Workshops and Performance Project.
Archer is launching a two-year community-led touring project featuring seven performances across regional Victoria. Working with local brass bands in Wonthaggi, Geelong, Wodonga, Colac, Camperdown, Casterton and Melbourne, the project combines community consultation, workshops, open rehearsals and live performances, creating opportunities for regional musicians to collaborate with leading contemporary artists. The project also includes intimate performances at local aged care centres, bringing high-quality live music experiences to community members who may not otherwise have access to them.
(it’s no) drama
South Gippsland Shire
$30,000
PowerLine
Created by Gippsland inclusive arts company (it’s no) drama in collaboration with Rawcus Theatre Company, PowerLine is a new large-scale performance work exploring power, structure and collective action through movement, poetry and the simple constraint of a straight line. Bringing together 20 diverse performers across workshops in Leongatha and Melbourne, the project culminates in site-specific performances at the inaugural coLAB Inclusive Arts Festival, before travelling to Melbourne for public presentations at Gasworks Arts Park and Federation Square as part of International Day of People with Disabilities.
Arena Theatre Company
Greater Bendigo City
$30,000
Country & Belonging: On Country—An Immersive Exhibition
Created in partnership between Arena and Dumawul, Dja Dja Wurrung cultural enterprise, Country & Belonging: On Country is an immersive exhibition showcasing student artwork, photography and personal Acknowledgements of Country developed through three years of First Nations-led residencies in Greater Bendigo primary schools. Premiering at Arena’s Creativerse 2026 festival at Ulumbarra Theatre on 3 October 2026, the exhibition combines large-scale visual installation, children’s voices, documentary footage and augmented reality, and has been designed to tour regional venues, schools, libraries and festivals across Victoria.
Ruth O’Leary
Mount Alexander Shire
$10,000
Development of solo exhibition at Castlemaine Art Museum working with the context of Mother’s in a Museum
Artist Ruth O’Leary will develop a new body of work exploring regional sites, historic archives and her lived experience of motherhood. Drawing on archival material from the Castlemaine Art Museum, the project reflects on the role of women in the arts — past and present — through the creation of a large-scale dress installation that transforms the gallery into an inclusive space connected to the many meanings of ‘motherhood’.
Daisy Collier
Mount Alexander Shire
$18,320
Birramalgu yanhayaan (gone to the bush): A new commission project
Birramalgu yanhayaan (gone to the bush) is a major new interdisciplinary project exploring the intersections of contemporary art, carceral systems and eco-social practice. Developed collaboratively on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, the work will unfold through site-specific interventions, experimental audio-visual and sculptural works, and community engagement, before premiering at West Space in 2026 and touring to Canberra Contemporary in 2027.
Golden City Support Services/CreateA
Greater Bendigo City
$24,000
Laundry
Laundry is a new theatre work devised by members of CreateA’s Performing Ensemble, inspired by the memories of a woman with disability who worked in the laundry at St Aidan’s Orphanage in Bendigo. Premiering at The Engine Room in March 2027, the performance explores how work and everyday routines shape identity, belonging and connection. Developed in collaboration with a sound artist and filmmaker, the project will also include a short film combining story and performance for festival presentation locally, nationally and internationally.
Things of Foam and Wood
Macedon Ranges Shire
$30,000
RAVEN – A new puppetry work for primary school touring
RAVEN is a touring puppetry theatre work for students from Prep to Grade 6, designed to travel easily into school halls and multipurpose spaces, combining beautifully crafted puppets, simple storytelling and gentle audience interaction. The performance tells the story of Raven, a real Macedon Ranges resident who has spent her life caring for local birds, inviting students into a world where animals listen, communicate and sometimes guide us through difficult times.
Lake Bolac Eel Festival Inc.
Ararat Rural City
$10,000
The Bunjil Project
Artists Bronwyn Razem and Dave Jones will collaborate with students from Lake Bolac College to create a sculpture of Bunjil through a series of workshops. Using metal reclaimed from fire-affected farms across the district, students will help shape the work before weaving in layers of fabric, feathers and other locally sourced natural materials. The Bunjil sculpture will complete a series of four birds illustrating the First Nations story of Lake Bolac, marking the final stage of an ambitious ten-year community project to share and celebrate this story.
About Regional Arts Victoria
Regional Arts Victoria (RAV) backs artists and communities across regional Victoria to make, participate in, and experience creative work.
RAV is an independent, not-for-profit, membership-based organisation working in long-term partnerships with every level of government, fostering contemporary and innovative regional cultural practice. We advise and impact on decision-making across multiple portfolios and levels of government.
RAV is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations, and the leading organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria.
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Media Contact:
Kate Gerritsen | Director, Communications and Engagement | [email protected]
Posted: 15 June 2026