Create NSW celebrates the rich and vibrant influence people of diverse backgrounds bring to the arts in our state.
First Nations
We recognise and respect the vital role of First Nations artists and culture in NSW. We provide funding, consultation, partnerships and resources for Aboriginal arts and culture.
See Aboriginal Arts and Culture for information on programs including Creative Koori funding and webinars. Also see the Aboriginal Arts & Cultural Protocols
People with disability
We’re committed to ensuring people with disability are recognised and given access within the arts, screen and cultural sectors of NSW.
For more about internships, funding and other programs see Arts and people with disability
LGBTQIA+
Our diverse NSW LGBTQIA+ communities play a strong role in fostering creativity and inclusivity in the arts.
Create NSW provides a range of funding and support to LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural practitioners.
In regional areas, we recently provided funding to Coastal Twist LGBTIQA+ Arts & Culture festival. We also funded the New England Regional Art Museum Ltd, Winter Blooming Festival that celebrates Indigenous, multicultural and LGBTQIA+ arts, culture and communities.
Multicultural diversity
Create NSW provides funding and support to Diversity Arts Australia. This is Australia’s national voice for ethno-cultural and migrant racial equity in the arts, cultural and creative industries.
Their Creative Equity Toolkit is an essential resource for everyone involved in the arts and cultural sector, and beyond.
Create NSW funds and promotes the work of artists of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Earlier in her career, Miles Franklin Literary Award winner, Shankari Chandran, author of Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, received the Create NSW 2018/19 NSW Writer’s Fellowship and an Early Career Writer’s Grant.
She says this helped give her confidence and validation for her future work. See From Create NSW Fellowship to Miles Franklin Award: In conversation with Shankari Chandra
Other recent Create NSW funding recipients include:
- Rossano, Orchestra Diaspora. This is an ensemble comprising musicians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds living on Gumbaynggirr country. Their work is described as "Songs that connect people and cultures, migrant sounds finding a new home."
- Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta, Guards at the Taj, written by Rajiv Joseph.
For more resources see:
- Multicultural NSW
- Towards Equity: a research overview of diversity in Australia’s arts and cultural sector - Australia Council for the Arts
Policy and research
Creative Communities outlines the NSW Government's 10-year policy framework from 2024-2033, that supports artists, creatives and cultural organisations, and expands to include the rapidly growing creative industries.
The policy commits to a whole-of-government approach to advocate for, invest in and enable the creative and cultural ecosystem across the state to realise its potential.
Creative Communities is grounded in five guiding principles:
- Prioritise First Nations culture
- Embrace the arts, culture and creative industries
- Advocate for the value of culture
- Support sustainable growth
- Take our creativity to the world and bring the world to our stories
Access our 10-year policy framework at Creative Communities - the NSW Government's Arts, Culture and Creative Industries Policy.
Applying for funding
Go to our Grants and funding finder to view some of the funding programs we provide.
If you're new to applying, see Get started with arts and culture funding
At the end of each grant in the Grants and funding finder there's information on contacting Create NSW for help with:
- understanding the guidelines for a grant
- submitting an application in a way that is accessible to you
- arranging an interpreting service for people applying in a language other than English
- arranging an Auslan interpreter service
- arranging a National Relay call.