Creative Art Central 2025/26

Creative Art Central is an art in community commissioning program for established and emerging creative practitioners who live on the Central Coast. This year, the projects to be considered are to be completed within a financial year (1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027), with up to $40,000 in commissioned funds per project administered, along with one allocated commission for a First Nations creative practitioner*. All funds determined will be based on the merit of applications assessed.

Eligible creatives are invited to apply for the program to develop new** and contemporary works in any discipline, which follow an art in community framework***.

An eligibility process will need to be addressed, as outlined below, with a detailed project and delivery completion date relating to a multi-year or singular year project.

To be part of this opportunity, you must register. 

* If you apply as a First Nations creative practitioner, this does not disqualify you from being assessed within the Creative Art Central program. Creative Art Central is a merit-based art in community program, awarding commissions to creative practitioners who demonstrate a high level of competency against the outlined criteria.

** A new work is a concept or idea which has not been previously undertaken or pursued at any stage or form of development, including public production or engagement. This means, projects which are currently in early or mid-stage of production in a private, community or public context will NOT be eligible for Creative Art Central.

*** An art in community framework requires the collaborative delivery of a socially, culturally and/or community engaged art project, resulting in an outcome where community is engaged through a participatory context.  Rather than community being a passive and/or audience-based contributor, community must be a dominant feature in the production and/or delivery of the project. This can be related to a co-designed and co-led initiative which benefits the community from a social, cultural, environmental and/or demographic context.

Central Coast Council is committed to creating welcoming, inclusive and flexible opportunities for creatives who represent the diverse backgrounds within our community. We welcome and encourage registrations from creatives of all ages, abilities, genders, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds or sexual orientation. Please email Madalyn.Trypas@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au to discuss what adjustments you may require enabling you to fully participate in Creative Art Central.

A reasonable adjustment is a change or modification made to remove or reduce barriers for individuals with disabilities or specific needs such as English as a second language and/or literacy issues. The adjustment is available to ensure equitable and accessible participation in the application process occurs. 

If you require a reasonable adjustment to the application process, please contact culturaldevelopment@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au.

To be eligible you must be:

- A Central Coast resident

- An emerging creative practitioner, defined as one who has less than five years dedicated to their practice

- An established creative practitioner is defined as one who has committed a major aspect of their working life to their practice (even if this work has not been the main source of income) and a degree of training, experience, or manner of working that allows their work to be assessed against the highest practiced standards.

- a creative practitioner from any discipline who identifies as either emerging or established as outlined above

- a central coast-based arts organisation, group or collective, with members or individuals who identify as either emerging or established

- able to produce a new work of high quality which contributes to our local creative identity

- able to produce a new work which adheres to the art in community framework

Non eligible:

- If you are a creative that does not live on the Central Coast

- If you are an arts collective, group or organisation that does not reside on the Central Coast

- If you were an individual part of or an arts collective, group or organisation that was a successful recipient in the past three years (2022-2025) of Creative Arts Central

- If you have been a successful individual recipient of Creative Arts Central in the past three years (2022-2025)

- any casual or permanent Central Coast Council employee

- if a project and/or concept is in early or mid-production within any context, including public and/or community.

First Nations Eligibility and Non-Eligibility

Identification Criteria

As outlined by AIAATSIS, your heritage is something which is personal to you. You are not required to provide a letter of confirmation to identify as a First Nations person. As part of the criteria of this program to determine your heritage and as outlined by AIAATSIS you must:

- identify as First Nations

- be of First Nations descent

- be accepted as such by the community, in which you live or formerly lived.

To be eligible as a First Nations creative practitioner, you must be:

- A Central Coast resident

- An emerging creative practitioner, defined as one who has less than five years dedicated to their practice

- An established creative practitioner is defined as one who has committed a major aspect of their working life to their practice (even if this work has not been the main source of income) and a degree of training, experience, or manner of working that allows their work to be assessed against the highest practiced standards.

- a creative practitioner from any discipline who identifies as either emerging or established as outlined above

- a central coast-based arts organisation, group or collective, with members or individuals who identify as either emerging or established

- able to produce a new work of high quality which contributes to our local creative identity

- able to produce a new work which adheres to the art in community framework

-  identifies as First Nations as outlined by the identification criteria

Non eligibility:

- If you are a creative that does not live on the Central Coast

- If you are an arts collective, group or organisation that does not reside on the Central Coast

- If were an individual part of or an arts collective, group or organisation that was a successful recipient in the past three years (2022-2025) of Creative Arts Central

- If you have been a successful individual recipient of Creative Arts Central in the past three years (2022-2025)

- any casual or permanent Central Coast Council employee

- if a project and/or concept is in early or mid-production within a public and/or community context.

- your First Nations identification does not fit within the identification criteria

Creative Art Central is administered through three specific stages. These include:

• Stage 1: Registration - all eligible creative practitioners are invited to complete the initial registration stage. Applicants will be considered against the eligibility cirteria.
• Stage 2: Seed Fund recipients (invitation only). The top 10 registrations, those who have scored the highest points under the eligibility criteria will be awarded $1,000. The seed funds are to be utilised to develop and refine concepts in a three-month period. The top 10 awarded will be selected under a merit-based criteria based on the questions addressed within the Registration Form. This section will be scored by two council representatives.
• Stage 3: Pitch to Present: All seed funded recipients will be required to present their refined concepts to an industry panel. The industry panel will consist of 2 external creative practitioners from specific industries. and 1 internal council staff member.

This is the initial stage of the application process. All fields with an Asterix (*) in the registration section must be completed. Prior to completing the form (section 10), please make sure you have read through all available information and fact sheet to determine you meet Creative Art Central's eligibility. 

The aim of the seed funding is to provide an opportunity to investigate and refine your concept further and to assist with formalising your presentation.

This will include, but not limited to:

- identifying any relevant collaborators and/or partnerships who will support and assist with the production of your concept. This should include determining and identifying your community stakeholders who will become participants during the production and/or delivery of your project.

- support material and an expectation that evidence of this engagement is acquired. This can be through email correspondence or a letter of support outlining the form of collaboration and/or participation.

- demonstration and reference of your own arts practice relevant to what you are proposing.

- investigating and presenting specific community participation and engagement strategies which sit outside a passive and audience-based context. 

- where applicable, confirmation from asset owners of usage of spaces and/or places: support material provided regarding this usage and agreement through email correspondence.

- an itemised budget to determine all aspects and requirements to complete your project.

- a timeline, outlining key milestones and outcomes to your project

The pitch is an opportunity for you to share your:

• refined concept
• level of experience
• capacity and understanding to deliver your concept from to beginning to end
• evidence of the partnerships and/or collaborators provided through support letters and/or email correspondence.
• An itemised budget outlining what will be required to deliver your project from a financial perspective

The pitch will be presented within a 20-minute timeframe and can be presented in any medium, digital or hardcopy platform you like. More information regarding the pitch will be emailed to those selected. A selected industry panel will assess your eligibility by scoring against the criteria. Those with the highest scores will be awarded the commissioned funds. The number of commissions awarded will be determined by the funds requested, though this round, one of the commissions awarded will be allocated to a local First Nations creative practitioner with the highest score from within that identified category.

The industry panel will be announced prior to the pitch date in March 2026. All those who participate in the pitch process will be informed of the outcome by the Central Coast Council representative either via email or phone.  

• You must have a new idea which has NOT been previously undertaken in any form of production or development.
• You must propose to develop a new and contemporary work which reflects an art in community framework. 
• You must live on the Central Coast, NSW
• You must identify as either an emerging or established creative practitioner.
• You must identify as a First Nations creative practitioner as outlined by AIATSIS.
• You must be a Central Coast art collective, group or arts organisation with members or individuals which identify as emerging or established.
• Your concept must either engage, partner and/or collaborate with the local community within a co-designed and co-created context

Key Dates

• Registration Dates: 13-27 October 2025
• Pitch Workshop (optional - for those who have completed their registration form): 20 November 2025, 6-7.30pm (online). To book a spot click on the hyperlink to be directed to the Eventbrite booking platform - "How to Pitch" Booking Platform
• Seed Fund Recipients Notified by: 5 December 2025
• Invitation to Pitch Dates:  9-13 March 2026
• Successful Recipients Notified by: 15 May 2026
• Commissions to be delivered between: 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027

This section is your opportunity to briefly outline your idea. When addressing this section consider the points outlined below:

- a new and contemporary work 

- connects and engages with the local community, including which community group you are targeting

- defining the collaborators and/or partnerships

- Allocated timeframe and key milestones, including an approximate cost to deliver the project

Thank you for taking the time to complete this form. All details regarding specific dates and announcements are outlined in Section 1 and 2 of this form. 

For further information regarding Creative Art Central, you can visit Creative Art Central | Central Coast Council or email culturaldevelopment@centralcoast.nsw.gov.au