The Cad Factory’s CASE Incubator National Residency Program 

The CASE Incubator National Residency Program is a paid, 12-month residency and professional development program for Australian socially engaged artists seeking to develop their practice, engage with their peers, create networking opportunities with diverse partners, and contribute back to the sector. It will run from October 2026 to September 2027. 

Awarded to 8 mid-career, socially engaged artists, one from each state and territory in Australia, this program offers in-depth learning and mentorship from sector leaders, alongside peer-to-peer learning, network building and the support to deliver a small project or resource for the sector. 

Each artist will receive: 

• $3000 (ex. GST) artist fee + super contribution 
• $4000 (inc. GST) to deliver a small project or resource for the sector. 
• Travel, accommodation and per diems covered for two in-person residencies (to be held in Sydney) 

Selected artists will need to commit to: 

• Travel to Sydney for a 4 day residency from 27-30 Oct 2026 
• Travel to Sydney for a 4 day residency in August 2027 (dates TBC) 
• 8 x 2 hour online learning and discussion workshops
• Delivering a small socially engaged art project or resource between November 2026 and September 2027, within the allocated budget 

Eligibility Checklist: 

1. I am applying as a solo artist 
2. I have an active ABN
3. I have public liability insurance or am willing to get this if needed
4. I have delivered five or more socially engaged projects
5. I am available to attend the in-person residency in Sydney 27-30 Oct 2026
6. I can attend eight online meetings that are 2 hours in length
7. I have capacity to devise and deliver a small socially engaged project with a budget of $4000 between November 2026 and August 2027
8. I want to engage generously with a cohort of peers from across Australia to share, learn and talk about socially engaged practice 

Applications open on Monday 13 July, and close at midnight Friday 28 August 2026. 
Artists will be notified of the outcome of their application by mid-September 2026 for a 27 October 2026 start. If you have any additional questions, you can contact our Assistant Producer, Kimberley Beattie on: [email protected]

Click here to go directly to the online Application Form

Key Dates: 

13 July 2026: Applications open 
28 August 2026: Applications close 
Mid-September 2026: Applicants notified 
27 – 30 October 2026: In-person residency in Sydney 
November 2026 – July 2027: 8 x 2hr online professional development sessions  
November 2026 – September 2027: Devise and deliver socially engaged project  
August 2027 (Dates TBC): In-person, four-day residency in Sydney 

Eligibility Criteria: 

1. You are a mid-career socially engaged artist and can demonstrate you have led and delivered five or more socially engaged projects in any artform.
2. You have questions about your socially engaged practice and a willingness to discuss these in a shared group environment while also having a generosity to listen to other selected artists’ questions and engage with them.
3. You can work well in collaborative and group environments and be part of a curious cohort who are trying to understand their artistic practices more deeply.
4. You have an ability to devise and deliver projects according to project timelines and budgets. The CASE Incubator National Program will finish in October 2027 and all creative projects will need to be concluded by September 2027. The $4000 budget is final and no more funds will be offered to selected artists 

Extra Information: 

1. In the Application Form you will not be required to submit project ideas. This will be devised and discussed during the first residency   
2. One artist will be selected from each State and Territory across Australia. Artists from regional and remote areas and First Nations applicants are encouraged to apply. A diversity of artforms will be considered in the selection of applicants. 
3. We will not consider duo/group applications. This is an opportunity for a single artist.
4. Artists who have received previous Cad Factory opportunities such as the CASE Incubator Program, Joyce Spencer Textile Awards, Scene Shift Residency, or who have been commissioned for our River Stories project, are not eligible to apply. 

About The Cad Factory:

The Cad Factory is an artist-led organisation delivering socially engaged, contemporary art that addresses complex social, environmental, and health challenges through collaborative, community-embedded practice.  

Cross-disciplinary collaboration underpins our work. We build partnerships across government, academia, industry, health, and community sectors, integrating artistic research with diverse knowledge systems. Projects such as More than a Fish Kill demonstrate our capacity to address complex socio-environmental challenges through integrated creative, scientific, and community-led approaches. We combine participatory practice with artistic excellence, ensuring community-based processes produce significant contemporary art outcomes. Our work has been presented at leading institutions including Tate Liverpool, the National Museum of Australia, and major galleries and festivals across Australia, showcasing our ability to deliver projects with both local relevance and national and international cultural significance.  

For more information head to our website: www.cadfactory.com.au/about  

Reflections from past CASE Incubator participants: 

It’s a very rare thing to step out of the work/ home reality and into this other zone of reflection, questioning and exploring new possibilities with such focus.  I have kept thinking about things we discussed and it’s nice to have time to see how I can integrate this into my upcoming projects. — Karenza Ebejer   

I felt a sense of being connected to a collective of artists – I wasn’t out there in the field floating on my own. — Melanie Muddle  

My brain and heart is full! Looking forward to the future. — Harriet Body 

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body. The Cad Factory is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and Minderoo Foundation. 

Image credits:

1. Shoulder to Shoulder, 2023, And Then, Vic McEwan and the Pinnaroo Project. Photo: Vic McEwan
2. Shoulder to Shoulder choir workshop development, 2023, Sarah Penicka-Smith. Photo: Vic McEwan
3. And Then at the Lameroo Football oval with MIRU, their self image making machine. Photo: Vic McEwan
4. Harriet Body with her artwork Tie Together at the CASE Incubator Studio. Photo: Vic McEwan

For more information click here