There’s something for everyone with smash hit shows, dance, cabaret, poetry slams, comedy, children’s theatre shows, classical music and powerful visual art exhibitions – making entertaining and thoughtful arts and cultural experiences accessible for audiences in 49 regional communities from Albury to Armidale, Leeton to Lismore.
In response to sector feedback as part of the transformed Arts and Cultural Funding Program (ACFP), this year’s Regional Arts Touring funding program was expanded to include small and large tours and longer tour timeframes. This has led to a greater number of individual and regionally-based creatives taking their shows on the road, as well as visual arts exhibitions included in the mix, bringing a wider array of exceptional arts and culture across the state and providing a significant boost for creative communities.
The expanded timeframe has enabled tours such as 'Guwayu: for all time' – a powerful First Nations exhibition, curated by Mudgee-based Wiradjuri woman, Aleshia Lonsdale. The exhibition, which premiered at Mudgee Arts Precinct in May 2024, illuminates and honours the past we have inherited and looks to the future we will leave behind.
Collectively, the 17 tours will showcase the state’s diverse talent to over 100,000 people, boosting vibrancy across the state, while generating employment for 700 artists, creatives and cultural workers.
Karen Rodgers, Director Arts, Create NSW said:
“The Regional Arts Touring program connects talented NSW creatives with audiences across the state. With 700 artists, creatives and cultural workers touring 17 acclaimed productions and programs across the length and breadth of the state, communities everywhere will benefit from this investment.
“NSW arts and cultural productions are world-class and create unforgettable cultural tourism experiences for everyone when they head out on tour. Regional Arts Touring will boost employment, equity of access and vibrancy to dozens of communities.”
Recipients
This year’s Regional Arts Touring organisations and individual recipients, sharing in a total of $1.2 million include:
Large Tours
- Arts on Tour NSW Ltd - The Saturday Night Social - NSW Regional Tour
- Blue Mountains City Council – sensorial exhibition
- Ensemble Limited - A regional NSW tour of Ensemble Theatre’s commission of THE QUEEN’S NANNY by Melanie Tait
- Illawarra Performing Arts Centre Ltd - The Strangeways Cabaret - workshops and performances
- International Performing Writers Association Inc - Australian Poetry Slam - NSW Regional Tour
- Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People Ltd – Regional NSW Tour of Detention and Where is the Green Sheep?
- Red Line Productions Limited – NSW Regional Tour of Tim Winton's THE BUGALUGS BUM THIEF
- The Australian Haydn Ensemble Inc - Australian Haydn Ensemble Regional Tour 2025
- University of Sydney Union – ESSSENSSSE
Small Tours
- Individual – A regional tour of accessible comedy show
- Individual based in regional NSW – Regional and metro tour of cabaret duet
- Individual based in Western Sydney – Regional tour of First Nations dance project
- Luminescence Chamber Singers – Red Dirt Hymns: Regional Tour
- Mid-Western Regional Council – 'Guwayu: for all time' Exhibition Tour
- Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council – A NSW regional/outer metro tour of Yasmin Reza's God of Carnage, produced by regionally-based Echo Theatre and toured by Arts on Tour.
- Studio A Limited – Bleeding Hearts and Morning Glory: Studio A's Regional Exhibition Tour with Public Program
- Spare Parts Invests in Arts Inc - Spare Parts Regional Caribbean Music Program 2025
