Nearly $186,000 in funding will support 10 regional arts projects across South Australia, thanks to the latest round of the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund.

Federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, announced the $185,314 investment and celebrated the artists and organisations involved for their vital contributions to creative life in the regions.

“The government is making this investment because we believe that no matter where you live, the best of the Australian arts should be within reach,” Minister Burke said.

The successful projects span the state – from the Eyre Peninsula to the Limestone Coast – and focus heavily on community engagement, youth participation, mentorship, and cross-cultural collaboration. Highlights include a youth-run community magazine, public art and murals, new music recordings, international First Nations performances, and a powerful exhibition developed by an artist living with an acquired brain injury.

Country Arts SA Chief Executive Anthony Peluso praised the calibre and diversity of the selected projects.

“This round of the Regional Arts Fund supports the development of remarkable new work across community publishing, collaborative exhibitions, international First Nations performances, and public art,” Mr Peluso said.

“There’s a strong focus on growing the skills and abilities of the next generation of artists and helping regional creatives connect with local and global audiences.”

The 10 funded projects are:

Forest Range – Fleur Elise Noble
Visual-theatre artist Fleur Elise Noble will lead Sunshine and the Dark Cloud, a new projection-based performance work  developed through intensive workshops with 10 young regional creatives. Fusing animation, puppetry, live performance, and projection mapping, the project will be delivered with support from Project Create Community Arts Co-op in Carey Gully.

Goolwa – Bunna Lawrie
Mirning Elder and Whale Dreaming Songman Bunna Lawrie, alongside collaborator Jason Lee Scott, will tour internationally as part of Song to the Whales, a tri-First-Nations performance collaboration. The tour includes major venues in Canada and the USA, and will feature performances, workshops, and cultural exchanges at festivals such as Montreal’s International First Peoples Festival and New York’s Lincoln Center.

Kingston SE – Kingston District Council
The Brushstrokes for Better mural project will transform public spaces in Kingston with vibrant visual art led by artist Taylr Jay, who will also mentor a local emerging artist. This community-led initiative promotes mental wellbeing and civic pride through creativity, delivered in partnership with the Health Advisory Committee.

Normanville – Evette Wolf
Mini Mag is a youth-focused publication set to launch with three editions created by young regional artists aged 15-26. Each 30-page magazine will be printed and distributed free to the community, showcasing original content from emerging voices. The project also provides paid roles in editing and design for local artists and includes free workshops in creative writing and visual art for youth and families, encouraging broad community participation and contribution.

Victor Harbor – City of Victor Harbor
The Studio Sessions program offers emerging musicians in the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, professional studio time to produce and record original music. With access to industry mentorship and technical support, participants will produce and release EPs while learning key skills in music production and the wider music business.

Stansbury – Stansbury Progress Association
Cabaret artist Charlee Watt will perform Beating Up the Beatles at the Stansbury Institute, supported by local artist Karina Voigt, as part of the Grounded Festival. The performance offers the community access to quality live arts experiences in a regional setting.

Warooka – Rachelle Plazeriano
Visual artist Rachelle Plazeriano will collaborate with artist Karen Brown, who began making art following an acquired brain injury, to co-create an exhibition exploring creative recovery and personal growth. The project continues a mentorship begun in 2023 and will feature in the Yorke Peninsula’s Grounded Festival.

Riverland – Daniel Giles
First Nations artist Daniel Giles will create a safe and welcoming environment for First Nations people attending the new Mannum Medical Centre. His work draws on traditional cultural knowledge and history. His work will feature in the centre, with additional spaces curated to showcase work by other artists.

Littlehampton – Wendy Dixon-Whiley
Sculptor and visual artist Wendy Dixon-Whiley will develop Earth Oddities, an experimental body of work translating her drawings into textured sculptural forms. Drawing on character design techniques used in film, the project brings surreal, otherworldly figures into physical space.

Goolwa – Courtney Mason
Writer Courtney Mason will undertake professional development to refine their debut novel Average Intelligence through a mentored residency with writer Heather Taylor-Johnson. The project focuses on manuscript editing and building a pathway toward publication.

The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program supporting sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia. It is administered in South Australia by Country Arts SA. The next funding round opens in July and closes in mid-August for projects beginning after January 1, 2026.

Image by Mikaela Frick