Create NSW vowed to make applying for funding easier, and well, its communication and graphics explaining the outcomes are definitely easier to understand. If we were to consider the balance across art disciplines and locations, then this new funding round is working hard to cover its bases.
However, the sad reality is that it’s still just as difficult to land substantial funding from the state, largely because there is just less cash around.
Read ahead:
2-year funding: let’s look at the data
The 2-year funding round was just announced (28 August), and in this inaugural round, 62 organisations have received funds from the pool of applications. The overall success rate was 32.8%.
This is what the $15.4 million two-year investment looks like:
- 62 organisations have been funded
- 31 (50%) of the funded organisations are in regional NSW
- 22 organisations across the state are receiving multi-year funding for the first time
- 4 First Nations arts and cultural organisations sharing in $600,000 per annum
- 8 Western Sydney organisations, sharing in $985,000 per annum
- 23 organisations in metropolitan Sydney funded to near $3million
- 6000 cultural workers sustained through this funding round.
To read the full list of recipients.
2-year funding: the big winners … and the losers
In a formal statement, Minister for the Arts John Graham says, ‘Regional arts, including regional art galleries, are the big winners from this cultural funding boost. Half of the 62 organisations receiving 2-year funding certainty are from our regions.’
He’s right. By sheer numbers alone, regional organisations are the big winner in this new funding round. But for some of them, they are only receiving a portion of the amount they applied for.
31 regional arts and cultural organisations have secured a two-year investment of $7.5 million over two years. This includes ten regional art galleries funded with a combined investment $1.8m.
Others have missed out, like Broken Hill City Art Gallery, the oldest art gallery in regional NSW. Director Kathryn Graham told The Guardian: ‘This is a very disappointing outcome for the gallery and a sad day for artists and the industry in the far west in general.’
The Gallery has applied for $100,000 a year, and missed out in both the four-year and two-year rounds.
More than 50% – 76 of 158 applicants – were knocked back in Create NSW’s 4-year round. And on top of that, regional public art galleries had a success rate below 18%, putting the sector in threat. That seems to have swung the other way with this round with Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Orange Regional Gallery, Newcastle Art Gallery, New England Regional Art Museum, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, and independent the Lock Up all successful in this round, allaying fears for the sector’s stability.
Read: Regional galleries ‘not sexy enough’ for funding
Balance is a great indicator of thoughtful process
Looking across the pool of recipients, it has to be said that it feels balanced across both disciplines and locations. And while money is tight everywhere, there appears to be a real effort to spread the love – with no glaring spikes in numbers to organisations or mediums.
While theatre is always well supported, it is nice to see a solid input to music organisations, including: Omega Ensemble ($185,000), Pinchgut Opera ($175,000), Sydney Philharmonia ($170,000), The Australian Haydn Ensemble ($100,000), and Sydney Chamber Opera ($175,000).
Similarly, the literary arts were supported with funding to: South Coast Writers Centre ($110,000), Words on the Waves writers festival ($90,000), Writing and Society Research Centre ($60,000), International Performing Writers Association ($100,000)
The other outcome is that the majority of recipients are bricks and mortar organisations – over say, quick win festivals, which has been the trend in recent years – investing vital income to assist sustained operations.
Festivals that were funded include Newcastle’s New Annual 2026-2027 ($130,000), Four Winds Concerts($200,000), and the Festival of Dangerous Ideas ($160,000).
Create NSW: Is the funding enough?
The simple answer is no. Of the organisations that have received 2-year funding, a number missed out on 4-year funding and were essentially “bumped down the line.”
The fear and expectations around this round have been high as a consequence.
A good example is the Australian Design Centre (ADC), which missed out on both Federal and 4-Year funding, with the 60-year organisation teetering on closure. $150,000 a year helps, but is still a massive shortfall for ADC. They had applied for $200,000 per year.
Read: Belly punch to craft sector lacks respect: ADC in potential freefall
Similarly, Maitland Regional Art Gallery applied for $110,000 a year, but received $85,000.
This just says there is not the money around. Of the 62 organisations, only five tipped over to $200,000, with the average amount rounding out to $97,000 per annum across the pool of recipients. These are crazy low figures for 2025-6, when the cost of everything, from services, to staffing, to freight, printing and so on, continue to spiral upwards.
Funding received – while greatly appreciated, and offers a welcome sigh of relief – is largely static, when compared to funding levels in recent years.
Create NSW: Is this new initiative working?
While it is probably too early to tell, the sector seems to be welcoming this new funding initiative.
Create NSW CEO Kerri Glasscock said, upon the announcement: ‘I am pleased to see the reformed Arts and Cultural Funding Program has delivered simpler, fairer, more accessible funding, and given certainty to 22 new funded organisations. This means funding is being more equitably shared across a wide number of creative communities and art forms.
Minister Graham added: ‘We have heard the message from the sector that they want less paperwork, and less acquittals. That is why the move from annual to multi-year funding for so many of these organisations is so welcome.’
Thirteen organisations, which previously had to apply for annual funding, have now shifted to 2-year funding rounds, gaining greater certainty for core operational funding for the next two years – and cutting that administrative burden demanded by annual grant applications
While the sector is pleased this week, pressure on the state government needs to continue for increased funding commensurate with the costs of our times. While this round feels inequitable and fair, it still just feels lean.
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