PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Arts North West provides professional development workshops as well as individual advice to arts workers, creatives, councils, businesses and arts and cultural organisations in our region. We can:
Review funding applications
Suggest funding sources and opportunities
Auspice grants
Provide tips on project management, planning, budgets, partners
Assist with logistics planning – insurance, branding, business plans
Advise on promotion and marketing
Art handling and installation
For more information contact our Executive Director.
Call for Entries — CREATE 2026 Exhibition - Narrabri
Entries are now open for the CREATE 2026 Exhibition, part of Narrabri Shire’s annual CREATE Festival. This year’s theme, “Water”, invites artists and creatives to explore the many ways water shapes our landscapes, communities, culture and identity. Artists of all ages and experience levels are encouraged to submit work across a range of mediums for inclusion in this community celebration of creativity and regional storytelling.
📌Applications Close: 5.00pm, Friday, 21 August, 2026
📅Exhibition Opening: 7.00pm Friday 2 October, 2026
RANSW - Business Essentials for Creatives
A practical guide to the business side of being an artist
As artists, the first thing we want to do create, and the LAST thing is all the pesky business admin that comes with it.
While it’s not something we can avoid, it can be made much simpler. In this workshop series, Regional Arts NSW CEO Tracey Callinan will guide you through the essentials, breaking down the jargon and helping you build confidence in managing your practice as a business.
Over three, two-hour online sessions, you will learn how to:
Why ABNs are important
Understand when & how to register for GST
Get paid properly for your work
Understand superannuation: what you’re owed and how to contribute
Create a simple, effective budget
Manage your accounts & submit your tax-return
Create an effective CV and portfolio
By the end of the series, you’ll have a clear understanding of the fundamentals, so you can keep the business side of your practice simple and spend more time creating.
You’ll also receive templates and resources to help you get started and know where to go for further information.
We hope to see you there!
Monday 22 June, 29 June & 6 July
10am - 12pm
Online
Cost: $50 for RANSW Community Members ($125 for non-members). Tickets for a single session can also be purchased for $25 (RANSW Community Members) or $50 (non-members).
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE - PARLIMENT HOUSE
Australian visual artists are being encouraged to apply for the Australian Parliament House Artist-in-Residence program. This unique opportunity gives artists rare behind-the-scenes access to the nation’s Parliament House, where politics, history, architecture and art come together in one of Australia’s most iconic buildings.
Parliament House is full of inspiration at every turn. From more than 6,000 artworks and 23 hectares of gardens to around 2,500 clocks and Hansard records dating back to 1901, the successful artist will have the chance to immerse themselves in the stories and spaces that shape our democracy.
The successful applicant will receive:
a $10,000 artist’s fee for the research stage
a commission fee of up to $30,000 for new work
travel and accommodation support of up to $15,000
access to a dedicated workspace within the Parliamentary Library.
Expressions of Interest close at 11 am on 16 June 2026.
Entries are now open for the Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize 2026.
The Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize, presented by the Australian Photographic Society, is a national $30,000 acquisitive award seeking Australia’s most compelling conceptual photographic works.
Finalists are exhibited annually at muswellbrook Regional Arts Centr, with the winning work aquired into the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection.
Artists may present photographic work in any format, encouraging diverse approaches to communicating conceptual ideas.
Entries close midnight 12 June 2026. Finalists announced 26 June, with the exhibition opening and winner announced 15 August 2026.
2026 WOOLLAHRA DIGITAL LITERARY AWARD
Entries are now open for the 2026 Woollahra Digital Literary Award, a national award celebrating innovation in Australian digital-first writing.
A national stage for bold, original storytelling in a digital world. If you’ve published work online in fiction, non-fiction or poetry, this is your chance to be recognised on a national stage.
If you’re working on something new, the reimagined Digital Innovation prize invites you to develop it further to use technical elements or explore themes relating to digital life.
With $7,500 in prizes across four categories, the award recognises both excellence and experimentation in contemporary storytelling.
Entries Close 19 July 2026
Celebrate the spirit of Australian Impressionism with Waverley Woollahra Art School’s 9×5 Landscape Art Prize, now in its 11th year.
This esteemed competition invites artists to explore the beauty of the Australian landscape, echoing the spontaneity of early outdoor painters who famously used 9×5 inch cigar box lids as their canvases.
Each entrant receives a 9×5 plywood board to paint their masterpiece.
Finalists will have their works displayed in a prestigious exhibition at Waverley Woollahra Art School, offering great exposure to both emerging and established artists. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a celebrated tradition and showcase your work!
Entries Close 9th July 2026
ACCESSIBLE ARTS TRAINING
ACCESSIBLE ARTS -Disability Confidence Training
Learn from Expert Trainers with Disability
“A fabulous session which has made being disability confident much more achievable!”
Learn about
Practical solutions to identify and mitigate access barriers
Inclusive models of disability and how to apply them
Creative solutions to delivering inclusive and accessible arts and culture programs
Best practice for customer service, disability language and etiquette
Key disability legislation
Resources
Detailed resource manual
Disability language guide
Access checklists
Access
Closed captioning and Auslan interpreting are available on request. Please advise of your access requirements during the registration process. Please note that we require at least 4 working days notice. For other access requirements, please email training@aarts.net.au
“The collaborative and knowledgeable advice from Accessible Arts was highly valuable … all the teams appreciated their very practical suggestions.”
– Bundanon
Public Workshop
An interactive, online workshop where participants are encouraged to contribute to group discussion.
Accessible Festivals and Events
Learn from Expert Trainers with Disability
“I found the real-life examples and feedback through the videos presented really insightful.”
– Penrith City Council
Help ensure your team is confident to cater for everyone with acheivable and effective access solutions for audiences, artists, musicians, actors, writers, creatives, volunteers, staff and contractors.
Learn about
Disability representation
Information formatting
Physical access
Lighting, Sound and Audio
Indoor air quality
Ticketing and content warnings
Access services, planning and programming
Maps and wayfinding
Online and hybrid events
Resources
Detailed resource manual
Disability language guide
Access checklists
Access
Closed captioning and Auslan interpreting are available on request. You can request these services during the booking process. Please note that we require at least 4 working days notice. For other access requirements, please email training@aarts.net.au
“Accessible Arts courses are developed and run by arts experts, geared towards the industry, all of whom have been happy to chat through any questions our staff may have. Sydney Festival staff have always come out of the training with creative solutions to problems they previously didn’t know existed!”
– Sydney Festival
Public Workshop
An interactive, online workshop where participants are encouraged to contribute to group discussion.
$125 per person + GST & booking fees
10% discount for bookings of 3 or more people
Accessible Marketing Workshop
Disability-Led Training to Expand Your Reach
Help ensure your digital marketing can be accessed by the 1 in 5 Australians with disability or who are d/Deaf.
“Loved getting to know how we can use make our digital platforms more accessible through small changes with large impact.”
Learn about
Best practice for accessible social media, websites and e-newsletters
Making the user experience more accessible for website visitors
Video captions, alt text and descriptions for images
Best practice approaches to language, text and emojis
Accessible graphic design considerations
Disability models and how to apply them
Resources
Detailed resource manual
Disability language guide
Access checklists
Access
Closed captioning and Auslan interpreting are available on request. You can request these services during the booking process. Please note that we require at least 4 working days notice. For other access requirements, please email training@aarts.net.au
“I love that the training is done by people with disability. The first-person perspective is invaluable.”
Public Workshop
An interactive, online workshop where participants are encouraged to contribute to group discussion.
$125 per person + GST & booking fees
10% discount for bookings of 3 or more people
Accessible Exhibition Design
Learn from Expert Trainers with Disability
Get creative with aesthetic accessible exhibitions!
Designed for art galleries and museums to support embedding key accessible design concepts in exhibitions and programming. Reconceptualise how new and diverse audiences can engage with exhibitions by embedding access from the start.
Discover practical and accessible exhibition design solutions, drawing insights from wide-reaching resources and examples from around the world.
“An informative and inclusive workshop. The resource kit and up-to-the-minute examples are essential baselines.”
Learn about
Budgeting
Disability consultation
Programming artists with disability
Creative experimentation
Developing access guidelines
Information formatting
Navigation and gallery maps
Lighting, sound and audio for exhibitions
Exhibition seating
Indoor air quality
Exhibition labels and signage
Industry best practice and Australian and International examples
Resources
Detailed Resource Manual
Disability Language Guide
Access Checklists
Access
Closed captioning and Auslan interpreting are available on request. Please note, we require at least 4 working days’ notice. For other access requirements, please email training@aarts.net.au
“A fantastic program, providing a safe space for engaging with ideas.”
– National Library Australia
Public Workshop
An interactive, online workshop where participants are encouraged to contribute to group discussion.
$125 per person + GST & booking fees
10% discount for bookings of 3 or more people
Creative Access
Learn from Expert Trainers with Disability
Learn about embedding access and inclusion into new creative work in an aesthetic way, and how creative work can become inseparable from access.
“The discussion on embedded access was eye-opening, highlighting its potential to transform how we develop work to minimise barriers to engagement.”
Think beyond traditional models where access is added-on to existing work and consider how to creatively engage diverse audiences in a meaningful way.
Learn about
Embedded access where access is designed into new work from the start
Creative access led by disability culture in the creation of new creative work
Australian and international examples of successful work
Who has the right to create the work
Challenging traditional models of creative work
Creative access as activism
Resources
Detailed resource manual
Disability language guide
Access checklists
Access
Closed captioning and Auslan interpreting are available on request. Please note that we require at least 4 working days notice. For other access requirements, please email training@aarts.net.au
“This workshop has undoubtedly shaped the way we approach access in our practices moving forward.”
You Are Here Canberra Inc.
Public Workshop
An interactive, online workshop where participants are encouraged to contribute to group discussion.
$125 per person + GST & booking fees
10% discount for bookings of 3 or more
creative + business - WEBINAR: Tax Time for Creatives
June 10 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
It’s June so that means it’s time to get your money stuff in order. It’s not much fun, but a few simple tips and tricks (and a friendly face) can help.
In this FREE webinar we’ll discuss the basics of how income tax works for creative practitioners. It’s a fast and friendly guide to how income tax works, how to navigate the different types of money you’ve made (and spent), and a few simple ideas to help you get organised in time for EOFY and take the terror out of tax. Go from chaos to clarity with the taming of your taxes! Join your fellow creatives and remember, you are not alone!
In this webinar we’ll discuss:
The absolute basics of how income tax works,
The creative tax rulings that you need to know,
The eternal question – Are you a hobby or a business?
How to work out your tax deductions (and why).
Easy tips and tricks for record-keeping,
Making better financial habits for next year,
Most importantly – where to go for more help!
Part of our Evening Education Series. The series is delivered as part of our commitment as a Social Enterprise to devote at least 50% of our profit to making programs and education free or heavily subsidised for creatives and arts organisations.
REGISTER FOR FREE NOW (Via Crowdcast)
What’s Included?
A 60 minute webinar with our creative industries expert (which you can access later if you want) plus lifetime access to additional resources.
Who’s it for?
Creative and arts practitioners, freelancers, start-ups, small arts organisations, and arts entrepreneurs from beginners to established (international sign-ups welcome!).
Who is the Host?
Monica Davidson – Monica is an award-winning expert on the creative industries, who began her professional life as a freelance journalist, performer, and filmmaker. Monica has a Masters degree in Screen Arts and Business from AFTRS, and was appointed as Australia’s first Creative Industries Business Advisor in 2013. In 2016 Monica founded the social enterprise Creative Plus Business, an organisation dedicated to educating creatives about business skills, financial literacy, wellbeing, and marketing.
What’s Creative Plus Business?
We’re a social enterprise dedicated to educating creative people and arts organisations about business skills. We help through sharing practical knowledge in a fun and irreverent way, and everything we do is designed to help creatives to feel more confident and comfortable about the entrepreneurial aspects of their creative practice. We believe that a bit of naughtiness, tempered with a kind heart and a big dose of professionalism, is the key to helping creative people understand the boring basics of business.
Accessibility: if you have any queries or access requirements, please email hello@creativeplusbusiness.com
SINGLETON ART PRIZE
A painting and drawing show $20,000 prize pool. Wide range of categories. This event is organised and operated by the Rotary Club of Singleton on Hunter.
In a typical year an average of 800 visitors pass through the Singleton Civic Centre over five days to enjoy up to 650 paintings, resulting in substantial art sales and great exposure for their sponsors.
Entries close 15 June 2026
ABC's 2027 Trailblazers Program
Are you a young innovator running a project that's driving real impact?
The ABC's 2027 Trailblazers program is now accepting applications.
If you're aged between 18 and 28 and already working on a social, educational, environmental or economic development project in your regional community — early-stage or established — this program is for you.
To apply, please fill out the questions listed below.
Who can apply to be a Trailblazer?
Applicants must be:
Individuals or groups of up to three people
Aged 18-28 as of January 1, 2027
Living in regional, rural or remote Australia and already running a project strengthening regional communities
Available to travel to Canberra in February 2027 (dates TBC)
Examples of eligible projects:
You must already be working on an active project. This could include:
Youth mental health projects
Social enterprises creating local jobs
Environmental or landcare initiatives
Creative programs that connect communities
Sports, cultural, STEM or education projects
Community service, advocacy or inclusion initiatives
If you're unsure whether you're eligible to apply, email us at abcheywire@abc.net.au.
What does this opportunity mean for you?
Selected Trailblazers will access exclusive opportunities, including:
National media exposure on the ABC
An all‑expenses‑paid trip to Canberra for the Heywire Regional Youth Summit
Funding opportunities through the Sally Foundation Trailblazers Development Fund
Skill development in leadership, storytelling and entrepreneurship
Networking access to media, industry and community leaders
Ongoing mentoring and long-term support to help grow your project
A nationwide community of young leaders from across regional Australia
Apply today
Ready to take your project further? Apply now by filling out the questions below.
Applications close 11:59pm AEST on August 1, 2026.
Lone Goat Artist Call Out
Lone Goat Gallery Byron Bay are seeking applications from visual artists across the Northern Rivers Region and beyond. We are focused on supporting ambitious exhibitions of dynamic and innovative work and welcome proposals from artists at all stages of of their careers.
Lone Goat Gallery is a contemporary art space, presenting emerging and established artists, located in downtown Byron Bay. We are seeking applications from visual artists across the Northern Rivers Region and beyond.
We are focused on supporting ambitious exhibitions of dynamic and innovative work and welcome proposals from artists at all stages of their careers in all mediums. Our exhibition program is based on shows running from 4–6 weeks.
We aim to provide a platform for contemporary artists from the Northern Rivers Region (NSW) and beyond, providing a unique program of exhibitions, and support for the development of artists and culture in the region.
Closes 14 Aug
Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award 2026
The Koori Mail Indigenous Art Award 2026 is a national award, open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists working in any medium. Artists at any stage of their career are encouraged to enter this non-acquisitive award. Entries are free.
First launched at Lismore Regional Gallery in 2021 in partnership with the Koori Mail Newspaper, this nationwide award focuses on the innovation and vibrancy of contemporary Indigenous art across Australia. The award aims to collapse the hierarchies between artists and arts organisations and is a chance to discover new talent and synergies between creative practices.
This year we are thrilled to announce Dr Kimberley Moulton as the guest judge of the Award. Dr Kimberley Moulton is a Yorta Yorta woman, curator and writer. Leading research and curatorial practice in connecting histories and futures at the intersection of historical collections and contemporary art, her work centres Indigenous and Global Majority art histories and ecological, cultural and relational creative practices. She is Senior Curator Exhibitions at RISING, Melbourne's International Arts Festival and recently held tenure as the Adjunct Curator Indigenous Art Tate Modern (2023-2026).
Shortlisted finalist artists will be included in an exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery from 7 November 2026 to 14 February 2027.
Further details:
Entries close midnight, 6 September 2026
Finalist notified of selection by 25 September 2026
2026 Awards
Major award: $20,000
Further categories to be announced closer to the exhibition including a Youth Award (18 – 25 years)
The Pymble Values Art Prize
We are delighted to announce that the Pymble Values Art Prize is now open for 2026. This year, the Prize honours our College value of Courage represented by the statement, “I am open to new experiences to learn and grow.”
The Pymble Values Art Prize celebrates our commitment to the five values that are integral to our standing as a leading independent girls’ school. Our hope is that our community will be inspired by the beauty and power of these visual representations of our values to realise their own potential along with an understanding of the power of art to inspire meaningful conversations and promote change.
The Prize is an annual acquisitive prize with a different College value represented each year. We are proud to support Australian female artists by offering a $30,000 prize for the two-dimensional artwork that best depicts the essence of our values. Pymble Ladies’ College is a proudly diverse and inclusive community, and we welcome submissions from artists from all cultural backgrounds.
Submissions are invited from all Australian female artists, aged over 18 years, for an original, two-dimensional work that represents the College value of Courage.
$30,000 is awarded to the winning submission and the College acquires the artwork for its collection.
Submissions open: Tuesday 12 May 2026
Submissions close: Friday 2 October 2026
The top 40 submissions will be featured in an exhibition at the College opening on Tuesday 10 November to Friday 20 November 2026, with the winning submission announced at the Official Opening on Tuesday 10 November 2026. This exhibition will be open to the public and all artworks featured will be available for sale.
Submissions for Sculptures in the Garden – Mudgee
Sculptures in the Garden returns for its 16th year and artist submissions for 2026 are now officially open.
We invite sculptors from across Australia to be part of one of regional NSW’s leading outdoor sculpture exhibitions, held in the beautiful spring gardens of Rosby Wines, Mudgee from 10–25 October 2026.
With over $60,000 in prize money available — including the major $30,000 Sculptures in the Garden & Mid-Western Regional Council Acquisition Prize — SIG continues to provide artists with valuable exposure, sales opportunities, and connection to an engaged audience of collectors, curators, and art lovers.
In 2025, more than 4,500 visitors attended the exhibition, with over 220 sculptures exhibited and more than half the exhibition sold or commissioned.
All sculptural forms, materials, and scales are welcome — from intimate works to monumental outdoor installations. Open to both emerging and established artists.
Entries close Friday 31 July 2026.
SMHNSW Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2026
SMHNSW Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2026 is calling for entries for the Meroogal Women’s Art Prize 2026, with a prize pool of over $18,000.
Women artists from across NSW are invited to submit artworks in any medium that explore Meroogal’s house and garden, collection, history, and significance within broader historical and contemporary contexts. Selected artworks will be displayed throughout the property, offering new perspectives on the stories of the people who once lived there and the treasured possessions that remain in the house.
The Meroogal Women’s Art Prize is a biennial, regional, non-acquisitive competition and exhibition. Entries close 15 July 2026.
Voluteering Opportunities
Volunteering:
Do you have some spare time during the week or weekend? Want to give back to your community and make new friends? Why not volunteer with your local arts or cultural centre? Galleries and community groups all need volunteers to keep things moving! Reach out to ANW to see if we can help get you in contact with a local gallery or arts centre. Contact Arts North West today!