Local Project Funded By The Country Arts Support Program

Seven small arts projects across the NSW Central West will share $17,000 in funding from the annual Country Arts Support Program (CASP).

After a record number of 40 local applications, regional arts development organisation Arts OutWest, who deliver the State Government’s CASP locally, have announced the Central West recipients of this long-running small grants program.

“The volume of applications demonstrates not only the crunch on budgets and rising costs of making art happen, but the keen demand for small, accessible, seed grants for regional arts activities and ideas,” said Arts OutWest executive director Kylie SheadApplicants could apply for up to $3000, with groups, councils, individuals, collectives and arts businesses eligible.

Funds are primarily for the payment of artists and arts workers to undertake locally-developed arts activities.

There were 40 applications for the 2023 round asking for just over $105,000 in funding, a 40% increase from the previous round and around a 16% success rate.

“The activities proposed in all 40 applications are exciting, thoughtful, creative and worthy,” said Ms Shead.

“There just isn’t the money to fund all of them.”

“The selected projects offer unique arts activities, development of new work and public outcomes,” Ms Shead said. “Value for money was also high on the criteria.”

Funded activities in 2025 include:

• An artist-led community postcard art project in Cowra
• Music making workshops with young women with disability in Bathurst
• Puppetry and movement workshops in Lithgow, Kandos and Mudgee
• A mural in Gulgong to commemorate Henry Lawson
• Art making for a community veggie garden in Orange
• Fibre arts workshops in Parkes (underway this month)
• Youth podcasting training in Lithgow

Cowra Creates

Presenter: Shani Nottingham
A community arts projection Cowra, encouraging, facilitating and supporting diverse and as inclusive as possible participants – connecting across cultures, ages and abilities, to create art on postcards, culminating in an exhibition of all art made at a local Cowra Art Gallery, anticipated September 2025.

Location: Cowra
LGA: Cowra Shire
Funding: $2700

“These seven projects offer exciting opportunities to communities, arts makers and audiences in the region.

They provide employment opportunities to artists and arts workers. We also know from the history of this funding that it often seeds the first steps of potentially bigger arts projects or collaborations,” Ms Shead said.

The funded projects will employ 20 professional arts practitioners, utilise more than 25 volunteers, contributing over 200 volunteer hours. The projects themselves represent $50,340 of regional economic activity.

Most of the projects will make use of additional funding sources or income and more than $24,000 of in-kind support from the community and local businesses.

• Topics:
• Grant / Funding
• Community Groups
• Arts and Media