It is welcome news. Regional Arts Australia has announced that Minderoo Foundation has come on board with $2.4 million in new funding for a transformative initiative that will ensure stability of arts programming in regional communities.
The Practice in Community program offers multi-year grants of $160,000 to support independent artists living and working in regional communities across Australia, allowing for a more sustained engagement without the pressures of short-term project grants.
Regional Arts Australia funding – quick links
What does this new regional arts funding entail?
‘We’ve listened closely to what regional artists have told us,’ says Ros Abercrombie, RAA Executive Director. ‘Practice in Community is about investing in artists themselves and unlocking creativity as a catalyst for hope, connection and thriving regional communities.’
Abercrombie says that artist have been asking for longer-term support to work in their communities – to have a different funding model that complements one-off project funding.
Practice in Community will deliver two new funding rounds. These are targeted towards independent artists working in Community Arts and Cultural Development, and are directed towards impactful projects.
Abercrombie adds that the program ‘values process over product and supports the deep, relational work that builds trust, belonging and long-term community impact.’
She adds: ‘By investing in artists themselves, not just their outcomes, Practice in Community is grounded in the belief that artists are essential to social change, and provides independent regional artists with time, trust and resources to embed their practice within their communities.’
New funding round opens this month
Expressions of Interest for Practice in Community open this month, with five artists to be selected in the initial funding round. Their projects will need to begin in 2026, followed by a second round to create a cohort of six artists commencing in 2027.
The whole idea behind the program is to engage with issues that matter locally, activating conversations through arts engagement. ‘The initiative celebrates artists as change-makers – unlocking the power of creative practice to nurture stronger, more hopeful and culturally rich regional communities,’ Abercrombie concludes.
The benefits of these multi-year grants are twofold: firstly providing necessary financial support to deliver impactful programming; and secondly giving grantees tailored professional development opportunities, including mentorship and dedicated wellbeing support to make the most of this co-created regional engagement.
Read: The cultural value of craft: how craft communities strengthen regional identity
‘Minderoo Foundation believes in the power of community arts to bring people together, nurture potential and build pride, and in the unique role philanthropy can play to unlock new opportunities, like Practice in Community, that elevate what’s possible,’ says Penny Dakin, Executive Director, Communities, Minderoo Foundation.
Practice in Community is designed and delivered by Regional Arts Australia and is made possible through the support of Minderoo Foundation.
