The Tidal Exchange carries artists between the Central West and South East Arts regions of NSW.

2026 Applications closed 5 June 2026.

A partnership between Regional Arts Development Organisations (RADOs): Arts OutWest and South East Arts.

This new residency program offers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists dedicated time to develop their practice, build networks, and share skills across regions.

In 2026, one artist from the South East Arts region will undertake a residency at the The Squatters, Portland in the Arts OutWest region, while one artist from the Arts OutWest region will undertake a residency at Narra Bukulla, near Tanja on the Far South East Coast.

Funded through the Australian Government’s IVAIS (Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support).

the artists

The inaugural 2026 program will host, from the Arts OutWest region Wiradjuri artist Sonia Cox, and from South East Arts region Batemans Bay based Walbunja woman Bronwen Smith and Wiradjuri man Gavin Chatfield.

The artists will spend a month each in late 2026 or early 2027 in residence, experimenting with their artistic work. They will also run a community workshop or activity during their stay.

Sonia Cox is an emerging multidisciplinary artist with a background in community services and health. Sonia often works with natural materials including barks from her local environment and is an exhibiting artist at Arts OutWest’s Kew-Y-Ahn Aboriginal Gallery. Sonia Cox will spend time at Narra Bukulla on the NSW South Coast at Tanja.

“This residency will give me the time and space to concentrate on extending my practice, experiment and work with new materials from a different environment and it will be an opportunity to connect with knowledge holders and communities different from my own,” Sonia Cox said.

Sonia Cox on Instagram

Bronwen Smith and Gavin Chatfield are husband and wife and business partners behind Gwiyaala Aboriginal Art based in Batemans Bay. Their practice encompasses contemporary acrylic painting on canvas, digital graphic design, textile design, and large-scale 3D installations. They will complete a residency in 2027 at The Squatters at The Foundations, Portland in the NSW Central West.

“Our shared visual vocabulary is deeply anchored in Country, frequently celebrating local totems, flora, and marine life like oysters, stingrays, fish, bees, and dragonflies,” Bronwen Smith and Gavin Chatfield said.

“As a collaborative artistic duo, we want to use this residency in Portland to explore how our dual creative dynamics adapt to an inland, historic, and industrial landscape. Transitioning from our deeply familiar saltwater environment of the Eurobodalla coast to the rugged Central Tablelands will challenge us to expand our visual language both individually and collectively,” they said.

“We hope to gain fresh technical inspiration, build long-lasting networks within the Arts OutWest region, and return to the South Coast with a powerful body of collaborative work that bridges the coastal and inland regional narratives,” they said.

Gwiyaala Aboriginal Art on Instagram

The locations

Narra Bukulla, Tanja (Far South Coast, NSW) 

Available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists from the Arts OutWest region.

Narra Bukulla is a privately-owned property adjacent to Mimosa Rocks National Park, south of Bermagui on the Far South Coast of NSW. It provides artists with a large studio in a remote, bush setting. The artist’s workspace / studio at Narra Bukulla is peaceful with high ceilings, large, long walls and an open floor space with roller-door access.

Within a secluded forest of spotted gums, the artist studio is a walk or short drive to pristine beaches. The property has an established collection of site specific artworks created by family, friends and by commission. The ethos of the hosting family (who reside on the property) reflects four (? or three) generations of passionate creativity and innovation in the arts, scientific research and architecture, all fostering sustainability initiatives.

Artist accommodation is provided locally nearby. The living quarters are rudimentary, with semi-wheelchair access. Artists must bring a willingness to engage with outdoor environments — including the presence of wildlife such as snakes and spiders — and a sense of adaptability and openness to the experience are important.

Website

The Squatter’s Cottage, Portland (Central West NSW)

Available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists from the South East Arts region.

Portland, NSW is a charming small village lost in time. Located in Central West NSW between Bathurst and Lithgow, it was known as the “The Town that Built Sydney”.

The Squatter’s Cottage sits within The Portland Foundations precinct in Portland, NSW, which was once a huge cement works. The quarries are now lakes, the large estate is lined with informal bushwalks and the gracious industrial buildings are aged.

It has been named ‘The Squat’ or ‘The Squatter’s Cottage’ as it is a largely unrenovated character-full basic cottage. It leans into “art squat” subculture of making art in spaces and places that are vacant and affordable.  It is not a purpose-built studio/accommodation residency.

Originally the building was the first Bank of New South Wales in the town. The studio was the bank and the attached cottage was the manager’s home. Many of the original features are still observable in the layers of time.

Website