October has been a month of connection, celebration, and creativity across regional WA. We've welcomed two brilliant new team members to our RAWA family, put the spotlight on celebrated Kalgoorlie artist Tina Carmody-Elliot, and we watched our Regional Arts Ambassadors give visibility to arts communities from York to the Mid West.
I also had the privilege of visiting the Regional Arts Triennial's opening in Rubibi/Broome, where the theme "We Walk Together" resonated powerfully through exceptional works from Kimberley artists.
And this month also marked a significant milestone for Traditional Owners and the regional community of Pinjarra, as WA's Governor Chris Dawson publicly acknowledged and apologised for the Pinjarra massacre that took place in October 1834. Mr Dawson reminded us that truth-telling does not end with recognition but continues in the work we do, the stories we share, and the connections we build across all our regional communities.
Pour yourself a cuppa and read on for the full update.
In partnership with the Western Australian Museum and with support from Creative Australia, Regional Arts WA is commissioning a public artwork to celebrate the ancient Menang Fish Traps on the Albany coastline. The project is part of the broader Reclaiming Kalyenup initiative to re-indigenise the Museum of the Great Southern’s grounds.
First Nations artists from WA with Menang Noongar cultural ties can submit proposals as either solo artists or lead artists within a creative team (mentoring & support is available).
When I call Tina Carmody-Elliott, she’s making coffee. There’s the distant sound of a kettle, the clink of a spoon, and then she’s there – warm, direct, ready to talk.
“It was awesome,” she says, when I ask about growing up in a household where art was part of her DNA. Her father was a brilliant guitarist who’d have jam nights at friends’ houses, and young Tina would tag along and join in. By nine, she was learning the violin. Her mother used paint to interpret the bush and Country. And Tina was the kid who had to draw on everything, big murals sprawling across her bedroom walls. “I was lucky to have parents that actually let me paint on the walls,” she says.
Today, that childhood freedom has crystallised into something formidable. Tina describes herself with a phrase that’s become her signature; “I was born with a treble clef in one hand and a paintbrush in my other.”
Ambassadors on the Road in the Wheatbelt & Mid West
Last month we launched our Regional Arts WA Ambassador Program, inviting passionate photographers and videographers from across Western Australia to help tell the story of Western Australia’s regional arts scene.
Filmmaker and musician, Lincoln Mackinnon took to the challenge in York, interviewing Lucky Oceans at the York Festival and capturing stills at the vibrant event.
In the Mid West, Raquel Aranda visited rural women in remote parts of the region as part of International Day of Rural Women.
We look forward to sharing more of these marvellous assets with you as more Ambassadors hit the road.
The Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport are introducing a new Creative Organisations Funding Framework with two distinct pathways: a Creative Organisations Two Year Program (replacing the Annual Program of Activity) and a Creative Organisations Four Year Program (the new name for AOIP).
Both programs will open together on 19 May 2026 and close 2 July 2026. Program Guidelines will be available two months before opening. Regional Arts Organisations are strongly encouraged to explore this opportunity.
Many people who have creative skills or qualifications don't work in the creative industries.
The University of Canberra is interested in in speaking to individuals who are working in creative roles employed, contracted or subcontracted in, or providing services to, mining and resources in WA.
Participants will be invited to take part in a survey and optional follow up interview. Personal identity and place of work will be de-identified so participant privacy is protected.
The Western Australian Government is funding support to Western Australian artists, producers and the small to medium sector to attend the Australian Performing Arts Market 2026 in Boorloo/Perth, with priority given to regionally based applications.
The bursary contributes to travel costs (including per diems, accomodation, airfares, ground transfers and contribution for unwaged applications) and APAM registration cost.
The Hungerford Award will celebrate its 35th year in 2026, and this could be your moment. This award is Western Australia's most prestigious for unpublished writers, offering a $15,000 cash prize from the City of Fremantle, a publishing contract with Fremantle Press, and a fellowship at the Centre for Stories.
Entries open on 6 February 2026 which means you've got about three months to get that manuscript ready! If you've been sitting on that half-finished novel, now is the time to push through to completion. The award accepts adult fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction, or verse novels.
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