Media Release
Eight Project Grants have been awarded a total of $182,454 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 said,
“Where you live, shouldn’t dictate your level of involvement within Australia’s art sector. This funding will create over 850 jobs for regional artists and arts workers across Australia.
From Mullumbimby, to Emerald, Warrnambool and Rapid Creek, audiences will get to experience some incredible projects across a range of different mediums.
We know there’s a story for every place and a place for every story and this funding only further supports that.”
Director, Partnerships and Programming at Regional Arts Victoria, Susie Lyons thanked everyone who applied in this round and acknowledged the importance of fund in supporting the creative sector in Victoria.
“Regional Arts Victoria is proud to continue working with the Australian Government and Regional Arts Australia to deliver the Regional Arts Fund in our state. This support is crucial for regional artists and organisations and can be transformative for the successful applicants and others involved in funded projects, giving them scope to focus on new initiatives and embedding creativity in their communities.
We applaud the high calibre of applicants in this round and thank the independent assessment panel members who commit their time and expertise to supporting these outcomes. We look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
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.
2025 SUCCESSFUL PROJECT GRANT APPLICANTS (Round 2 )
Gelareh Pour
City of Ballarat
$21,075
The Red Vacuum
The Red Vacuum is a cross-artform performance work led by Ballarat based Iranian-Australian musician Gelareh Pour. Following a child’s perspective of the Iran-Iraq War, it explores resilience and the lasting impact of war on children and communities. The creative team will refine visual, performative, and staging elements while deepening the music’s integration with the evolving visuals to create a fully realised multisensory experience.
Mansfield Cultural Heritage and Arts Centre
Mansfield Shire
$11,566.75
Tracks Through Time
This Shire led community-based project will see the creation of a ceramic mural on the south wall of the recently constructed Mansfield Heritage Museum. The work will link the globally significant local evidence of when animals first emerged from the sea 350 million years ago with the stories of the Taungurung people in the Mansfield valley and mountains, and those from the era of colonial settlement.
Michael Chew
Mount Alexander Shire
$16,000.00
Mapping Our Futures
Castlemaine Library will be transformed into an interactive community futures hub through a large-scale wall map installation and targeted workshop program. Over eight weeks, creative future-visioning spaces and participatory mapping projects will strengthen social connections and celebrate local voices with the installation remaining in-situ as an ongoing resource complimented by a digital archive.
Beechworth Biennale Inc.
Indigo Shire
$23,870
The Beechworth Biennale 2026
The 2026 Biennale will celebrate and reflect on the many characteristics of Beechworth, highlighting the town’s unique architectural and natural features, and its many layers of history from First Nations perspectives to the Gold Rush, to an imagined potential future. Exciting and thought-provoking artworks will be exhibited across streets, parks and building facades showcasing regional artists and bringing the town to life.
Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute
City of Ballarat
$22,946
Stage Ready
In partnership with local community groups, Ballarat Mechanics’ Institute will train at least 15 emerging theatre technicians through hands-on workshops and mentored placements on live events. Participants will learn lighting, sound, rigging, and stage management while working alongside professionals on theatre, dance, and music productions, filling a local skills gap and building employment pathways.
Yarragon Arts Council Inc.
Baw Baw Shire
$28,300
Yarragon Studio Events
Yarragon Studio, nestled in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, will deliver a program allowing easy access to a variety of performances ranging from chamber music to the West Gippsland Concert Band (and its training band, The Greenhorns), to a youth music festival. In collaboration with hatted restaurants and top wine producers this community hub embraces all cultural pursuits – creative, epicurean, and bacchanalian.
Find Your Voice Collective
Warrnambool
$28,697
Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Live Concert
Warrnambool’s Find Your Voice Collective will work with Colac’s all-abilities Find Your Light Choir, and Lake Colac Specialist School through a series of workshops that alternately explore the creative process of songwriting and the business of arts management culminating in a joint performance of “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” (Joe Cocker’s repertoire) at the Colac Otway Performing Arts & Cultural Centre.
Shepparton Arts Festival
Greater Shepparton
$30,000
Community-Connected Producer Program
Rooted in the cultural heritage of Yorta Yorta Country, Shepparton Arts Festival will lay the foundation for longer-term pathways by prioritising First Peoples-led programming. A local First Nations producer will be engaged to deliver two events during the festival thereby supporting Indigenous artists and performers featured in the program while further strengthening cultural leadership and community engagement.
About Regional Arts Victoria:
Regional Arts Victoria backs artists and communities across regional Victoria to make, participate in, and experience creative work.
Regional Arts Victoria 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.
Regional Arts Victoria is the peak body for regional artists and arts organisations, and the leading organisation for regional creative practice in Victoria.
END
Media Contact:
Kate Gerritsen | Director, Communications and Engagement | [email protected]
Image: Find Your Voice Collective perform ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’ with Jacob Paton-Lee at Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre. Image by Kirsty Hill Photography
Posted: 19 November 2025