Practice in Community

By investing in artists themselves - not just their outcomes - Practice in Community is grounded in the belief that artists are essential to social change and to the thriving of regional communities. It supports the deep, relational work that builds trust, belonging and long-term community impact.

Rather than funding short-term projects, Practice in Community values process over product, supporting the deep, slow, and relational work that builds genuine community connection and supports lasting impact. By embedding artists in everyday life, the program enables community-led projects that build connections, generate exchange, and create opportunities for local people to share stories, explore challenges, and imagine new futures together. The program will enable communities to take a creative and arts-led approach to responding to an identified local priority.

The program aims to:

• Increase community participation in the arts by creating exciting community-led projects.
• Provide vital support for artists by offering multi-year financial resources, mentoring, and professional development that sustains artistic practice and wellbeing.
• Invest in the sustainable development of the CACD sector through practice-led learning, shared knowledge, and stronger networks for artists embedded in community.
• Contribute to social impact outcomes through building connections, generating exchange, and creating opportunities in regional, rural, and remote communities.
• Measure and communicate this impact through a responsive and rigorous learning and evaluation approach.

To be eligible, applicants must be:

• an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• must hold, or be able to obtain, an ABN
• over 18 years old
• living outside a Major City of Australia, as defined by the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Structure – this means artists living in Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote, and Very Remote areas around Australia are eligible
• a resident within 100km of the community in which the proposed project will take place
• a professional, independent artist with at least five years of experience in Community Arts and Cultural Development (CACD) or community-engaged practice
• able to demonstrate an established history of working with communities through creative projects
• available to undertake the program over the relevant two-year term for their cohort, on a part-time basis