In our Strategic Plan (2025-2028) we aim to:
- Provide support for artists, arts organisations and local government to develop cultural activity.
- Support artists to tell regional stories.
- Provide opportunities for audiences to explore stories and place.
- Nurture and build artistic practice and cross-artform collaborations.
- Promote and advocate for artists and arts activity.
- Supporting and developing emerging artists and working with young people to encourage artistic practice and understanding.
- Creating opportunities to build, develop and lead into the future.
How we do this
- advice and assistance
- information and resources
- arts promotions
- residencies
- professional development
- financially auspicing programs and projects
- supporting projects
- new work development
- touring
currently
Connecting creatives across our region
Photography team
Contemporary music industry support
Artist in residence, Portland
visual arts networking
Artist residencies
Exhibition opportunities
Artist residency exchange
Exhibition opportunities
Auspiced by Arts OutWest
Artist call out
Community art making day
updates
Tuesday 24 November, 10am-1pm at Millthorpe Creative Arts. Networking for visual artists.
The last for the year!
Applications close 5pm Friday 20 November 2026.
The inaugural Tracy Sorensen Writing Residency has launched in Bathurst to support emerging Australian writers.
Sunday 8 Nov, 10:30am – 12pm and 1.30pm-3pm at Kew-y-Ahn Aboriginal Gallery at Hartley Historic Site.
The new Union Theatre Gallery in Lithgow is hosting the Lithgow Arts Trail artist hub over the next 3 weeks (30 Oct – 15 Nov).
Central West theatre company Lingua Franca has received Create NSW Projects funding to develop and adapt Tracy Sorensen’s second novel The Vitals into a full-length stage play.
Draw Portland returned in 2026 on Saturday 24 October. With it came new visitors along with artists returning to this event at The Foundations, Portland to draw and explore onsite. “Incredible! The whole property is such a great subject to draw – it’s the perfect place for this kind of event!” wrote one artist, experiencing Draw Portland and The Foundations for the first time.
Four of this years SBTS Bondi artists made their works at The Foundations Portland including Harrie Fasher winner of the major $70,000 Aqualand Sculpture Award and Barkindji and Malyangappa artist David Doyle recipient of the inaugural NRMA Insurance Indigenous Artist Program.
Our living history project with Chifley Home & Education Centre in Bathurst has picked up a nomination. It will also screen 17 Oct at New England Regional Film Festival.
Sat 24 October. The creative precinct will be open to the public to explore and draw its extraordinary natural and industrial settings.
Kids – join artist Alice Martin in a 1.5hr drawing workshop.
With a Squatter’s Residency at The Foundations Portland on the agenda for Jessica Ann Leffley, a Central West based Wiradjuri artist, the opportunity arose to lead two workshops at St Josephs Catholic Primary School in Portland this August 2026. With generosity and no doubt much flapping behind the scenes, she turned up prepped with materials and Bird Girl Creations cut-out-bird-template-pieces to start the students soaring from the get-go.
The Village Voice newspaper is expanding and so is our monthly full page What’s On calendar. From Thursday 24 Sept there’ll now be a Mid-Western Region version, in addition to the Lithgow, Oberon, Bathurst, Blayney version.
Opens 4pm Friday 14 August 2026. Exhibition marks 202-year anniversary of Martial Law in Bathurst area.
past projects
A selection of past projects and activities that come under the banner of ‘Creatives Communities’ focus
Auspiced 2026: New Australian musical
2025: New theatre work
2025: Living history
2024-25: Photography exhibition
2024: Central West art at NSW Parliament House
2024: Showcasing Central West photographers
2024-25: Showcasing Central West artists
2023-2025: professional development
Supported 2024: ARI gathering
an (im)possible festival
2024-25: Backroads touring cabaret theatre
2023: Photography exhibition
Career launchpad for 16 to 27 year olds
2023: Schools history and storytelling
Supported 2022-24: new theatre
Supported 2022: creative and professional development
Supported 2021, 2024: theatre production
Supported 21-22: multi-arts response to bushfire recovery
Small grants
2022-24: Art exhibition responding to music
Original music from the Central West
2021: curated exhibition
2019: Welsh storytellers touring
2018: Contemporary art and a huddle of arts fans
2018: Part conversation, part arts festival.
2017: Kids making history films
Artists Run Initiative for artists with and without disability
2015, 2016: Tour by South African performance group
2014-15: Conversations about how and why we make arts and culture
2014: professional development sessions for creatives
2011-15: arts skills and participation of young people