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2026 National Regional Arts Fellows
Regional Arts Australia is pleased to announce eight recipients of the 2026 National Regional Arts Fellowship.
The National Regional Arts Fellowship is a program that invests in the development of regional artists and arts workers across the country, providing guaranteed income to develop work, skills, networks, or research. Funded through the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, this program invests in individuals across regional, rural, and remote Australia to support creative development, skills-building, research, and network expansion - with a focus on economic, cultural, and environmental sustainability.
More than financial support, each Fellowship is an investment in a person's creative future. It gives artists the time and stability to pursue skill development, research, and meaningful connections, without the pressure of tying funding to a specific deliverable. Flexible and responsive by design, the program lets Fellows determine their own path - shaped around their practice, their community, and their own timeline.
"The National Regional Arts Fellowship continues to be a landmark initiative for Regional Arts Australia, and one we are immensely proud of. It represents one of the most meaningful ways we can support regional artists, not only providing them with project funding, but also providing them with the opportunity for sustained investment in the people themselves. Year on year, this program has grown into a genuine milestone for our organisation's capacity to back the creative talent of regional, rural and remote Australia and putting the Regional Arts Fund into meaningful action. Congratulations to all of this year's Fellows, your work matters, and we're excited to see where it takes you."
— Ros Abercrombie, Executive Director, Regional Arts Australia
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2026 FELLOWS + THEIR PROJECTS:
OVERVIEW: 2026 NATIONAL REGIONAL ARTS FELLOWSHIPS
Eight fellowships have been awarded in 2026 with a total funding pool of $140,000.
| Creative & Professional Development | $20,000 | Amala Groom Kelso, New South Wales Artform: Cross Artform Project Title: The Constitution |
| Creative and Professional Development | $20,000 | Carlo Ansaldo Darwin, Northern Territory Artform: Community Arts Project Title: Researching Established Creative and Community Recovery Models for implementation on Larrakia Country |
| Creative and Professional Development | $20,000 | Corban Clause Williams Newman, Western Australia Artform: Visual Arts Project Title: Art Paris 2027 |
| Creative and Professional Development | $20,000 | Duncan Meerding North Hobart, Tasmania Artform: Design Project Title: Haptic design methodology – A studio-based exploration of creating from an alternate sensory world. |
| Creative and Professional Development | $20,000 | Michele Barker Callala Beach, New South Wales Artform: Visual Arts Project Title: Poles Apart: A creative exploration of how a melting Arctic affects regional communities in NSW |
| Creative and Professional Development | $20,000 | Simon Munro Tamworth, New South Wales Artform: Cultural Heritage Project Title: Learning Places: Re-Indigenising Public Space Through Cultural Practice |
| Early Career Development | $10,000 | Axel Wellings Goulburn, New South Wales Artform: Music Project Title: From Country to Stage: Axel Wellings Fellowship Year |
| Early Career Development | $10,000 | Charlee Watt Port Lincoln, South Australia Artform: Cross Artform Project Title: Beyond Emerging: The Next Act - Building a Sustainable Regional Cabaret Practice through Mentorship and Professional Development |
ABOUT THE NATIONAL REGIONAL ARTS FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship activities may commence from September 2026 and run until August 2027.
The Creative & Professional Development Fellowship provides $20,000 to regional artists and arts workers to support creative practice or professional development, with a focus on sustainability. In 2026, a total of six Creative & Professional Development Fellowships have been awarded. At least one designated for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander applicants, and at least one designated for applicants with lived experience of d/Deafness and/or disability.
The Early Career Development Fellowship provides $10,000 to regional artists and arts workers who are in the early stages of their practice or career and have had less access to funding opportunities. It supports the development of creative practice or professional development opportunities, with a focus on sustainability. In 2026, two Early Career Development Fellowships have been awarded. At least one designated for applicants who are under 25 years of age.