Close to $700,000 is being delivered to help arts projects reach new audiences and communities.

Circus performers walk on stilts on stage wearing long flowing white clothing and tall white hats
Theatre Kimberley, The Circus of the Pearl – a Sandfly Circus major production at Shinju Matsuri. Photo by: Boy from Beyond

The Australian Government’s Festivals Australia program delivers $1.4 million over two rounds each year and gives people in regional and remote Australia the opportunity to experience arts and culture in their local community. 

This round, a total of 18 festival projects will receive a share of the funding which recognises the key role festivals play in communities becoming and staying connected.

Amongst the recipients are:

NT Writers Festival - Stories Bring Us Together is a night-time storytelling gala that embraces a broad range of storytelling forms, including music, dance and multimedia experiences. Presentations will range from spoken word to readings of short stories and lyrical reflections, to performances of traditional Tiwi songs by the Ngarukuwala Women's Group.

Junction Arts Festival - Whale Trail (working title) is a community-engaged project featuring storytelling, dance and soundscapes. Three marine creatures will be crafted by participants from Tasmania’s east coast in collaboration with coastal Tasmanian artists and Terrapin Puppet Theatre to create a multi-artform spectacular at the Junction Arts Festival.

Mackay Film Festival for Youth - The Pioneer Valley Acting and Screen Production Weekend Community Workshop engages participants to build digital story-telling skills including scriptwriting, acting, producing, directing, editing, and post-production. The productions will be shown at the Pinnacle Playhouse Red Carpet Community Screening Event at the Mackay Film Festival for Youth.

Applications are independently assessed on specific criteria that consider quality, accessibility, partnership opportunities and value for money of the project.

A full list of recipients can be found here

Applications for Round 18 are open until 18 March 2024. Apply here.

Find out more