Create NSW Feature stories

In the heart of Paris at the Galerie Arts D’Australie - Stéphane Jacob, contemporary Gadigal artist Kate Constantine (Konstantina) opened her first solo exhibition in Europe,  Garrigarrang Badu in October 2023 . The exhibition was a culmination and celebration of years of research, self-discovery, cultural exploration, and contemporary expression. With support from a Create NSW Small Project Grant, Kate was able to travel to Paris to share her love for Gadigal Ngura (Gadigal country) through her art and storytelling with hundreds of visitors.

The damage from the devastating 2022 floods meant extensive restoration and repairs were needed for many arts and cultural infrastructure and assets. The funding ensured much-needed arts and cultural organisations, like REDinc. and Coldstream Gallery in the Northern Rivers, have been able to bounce back and reopen the doors of their revitalised and refreshed spaces. 

Embracing the Dreamtime , a school holiday program presented by 2Rivers in Tamworth, engaged dozens of Aboriginal youth in the region to express their creativity and culture through storytelling, dance, drama and music. Four creative workshops, each five-days long and led by inspiring Aboriginal mentors, gave the young participants the chance to connect deeply with the stories of ancestors and cultural practices handed down through generations.  Over the weeks, confidence grew and cultural pride soared, while the magic of dance, music and story-telling uncovered their hidden creative talents.

In conversation with Charles Firth, Co-founder of  Sydney Writers’ Room , one of Haymarket Creative’s first tenants. 

Megan Cope, a multidisciplinary Quandamooka artist, has breathed new life into her practice and revealed the healing power of art, by harnessing her family’s Aboriginal knowledge, community action and a deep love of Country. Transcending the boundaries of contemporary visual art and habitat conversation, her hand built sculptural work Kinyingarra Guwinyanba (2022) has piqued major interest around the world and sparked conversations about the role of art in restoring natural habitats and cultural practice. 

The search is on across Western Sydney to find the three talented contemporary musicians who will take their musical careers to new heights through the six-month 2024 Generations – Western Sydney Music (Early Career) Fellowship residencies.

What do Australian politics, Shakespeare, a Zombie apocalypse and pop music all have in common? The answer is NSW performer/composer Laura Murphy – the creative who brought us Shakespeare’s classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream reimagined as The Lovers, the musical retelling of a chapter in Australia’s political history in The Dismissal and a new production, Zombie! The Musical. Her contemporary lyrics and catchy pop music melodies break the convention of ‘serious’ theatre genres – and local audiences can’t get enough.

Applications are open for a career-enhancing opportunity for creative practitioners with disability or who are d/Deaf to intern with some of NSW’s leading arts and screen organisations. 

Meet PA777IENCE (formerly known as Clarissa Mei) – an artist and multi-instrumentalist based on Dharug Country in Western Sydney and a recipient of the Generations Fellowship in 2023.  Both the producer and vocalist on her tracks, PA777IENCE’s style evokes 90s neo-soul with a glossy coat of future R’n’B. Her lyrics are honest and empowering, chronicling the everyday twists, turns, and reflections of a 20-something finding their feet in the modern world. Create NSW caught up with PA777IENCE during her six-month residency at Powerhouse to find out where the journey has led her.

Millions of arts and culture lovers and visitors across the state, including regional NSW and Western Sydney, are set to enjoy homegrown arts and cultural experiences thanks to support from Create NSW. Thousands of local artists and creative industry workers will deliver an exciting range of activities and programs, supported through the first round of the Arts and Cultural Funding Program (ACFP) for 2023/24, sharing in more than $9.3 million in funding.