Seven creative projects across the New England North West have secured funding through the 2026 Country Arts Support Program.
Arts North West has announced $18,000 for projects spanning literature, music, visual arts, digital media and heritage in Armidale, Bingara, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Bendemeer, Tamworth and Tenterfield.
The New England Writers’ Centre has received $2,500 to deliver four literary events in 2027, including author talks, a celebration of romance writing and an online Pitch to a Publisher opportunity.
The program will be delivered with the Central Northern Regional Library network and other local partners, giving regional writers and illustrators opportunities to develop their skills and connect with the publishing industry.
Another $3,000 will go to the New England Bach Festival for Bach Abroad: A New England Tour.
Regional musicians Sarah Sadgrove, Robert Manley and Sheila Guymer will perform four chamber music concerts in Glen Innes, Armidale and Bingara in March 2027.
Tenterfield’s Sir Henry Parkes School of Arts Museum has also secured $3,000 for a series of three after-hours events featuring historians, authors, cultural researchers and commentators.
In Tamworth, $2,500 will help Tamworth Art Academy develop Hellsworth, a locally inspired video game based on the experience of a creative young person growing up in the region.
Artists Daniel Elliott and Logan Hughes will work alongside coder Julian Mann and young artists from the academy to create a playable demonstration, which will eventually be showcased through an arcade-style experience in Tamworth’s Fitzroy Street precinct.
Gunnedah and Bendemeer will share in the benefits of another $3,000 project, Flock Together: Bird Lovers’ Artist Exchange.
Led by artists Joanne Stead and Maree Kelly, the project will bring artists together with birdwatchers, Landcare groups and environmental practitioners for workshops combining birdwatching, environmental learning and creative development.
Tamworth’s Buddy Knox Talent Quest has also received $3,000 ahead of its return during the 2027 Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The event gives emerging Aboriginal musicians an opportunity to perform with a professional house band and receive feedback from music industry judges, with mentoring and further performance opportunities among the prizes.
The final $1,000 will go to Glen Innes Severn Council for Creative After Dark: Artists in Action at the Glen Innes Highlands Hub.
Four local artists, makers or creative practitioners will be paid to run demonstrations, displays and hands-on activities, while creating opportunities for new connections between artists and local businesses.
Arts North West said the grants would help regional artists and organisations develop new ideas, create paid work and deliver cultural experiences closer to home.
The Country Arts Support Program is funded by the NSW Government through Create NSW and delivered locally by Arts North West.
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