21/05/2026 

Orana Arts is visiting communities across the Orana region from 1–3 June alongside Regional Arts NSW, Create NSW and neighbouring Regional Arts Development Organisations.

The purpose is simple: to meet artists and creative communities where they are, find out who they are and what they’re making, share what a RADO can offer, and listen to what people need and to answer questions about the 2026 Orana Arts Small Grants Program open now.

The visits take place in Narromine, Trangie, Gilgandra, Coonabarabran, Coolah, Dunedoo, Wellington and Dubbo with open community sessions at each stop.

Joining the visit are two newly appointed Orana Arts board members: Phoebe Maroulis and Paul Young, CEO of the Macquarie Conservatorium of Music – making this the new team’s first community-facing moment across the region.

“Regional creativity doesn’t only happen in galleries or major venues. It happens in our wardrobe choices, workplaces, main streets, interactions with services, at the shops, community centres – even playing sport. We want to get to know the people and drivers behind that creativity across the region and help share their stories more widely.” Phoebe Maroulis, Orana Arts board member
Orana Arts encourages artists and creative community members to come along, share who they are, what they make and where people can find them. Everything captured will feed into the first steps of a region-wide online gallery, and shared across the networks of Orana Arts, Regional Arts NSW and Create NSW.

Dr Tracey Callinan OAM, CEO of Regional Arts NSW will be joining Orana Arts as a proud partner during this exciting period of community engagement.

“RADOs are the true champions of regional arts. We are genuinely looking forward to getting out into this RADO community alongside Orana Arts and showing people what becomes possible when you have a RADO working for you – the connections, the pathways, the opportunities that artists and creatives in regional areas deserve. The small grants opening this week are a very real and exciting sign of that activity.”

The Orana Arts Small Grants Program is the new annual program delivered by Orana Arts to support the development of arts and cultural activities across the four local government areas of Dubbo, Warrumbungle, Narromine and Gilgandra.

The program aims to:

• Increase opportunities for people across all four LGAs to access a diverse range of arts programs
• Enable communities to explore and express their cultural identities through locally-led projects
• Bring social and economic benefits through training, employment and promotional opportunities

Grants of up to $3,000 are available.

Applications open: Thursday 21 May 2026, 9am AEST
Applications close: Friday 19 June 2026, midnight AEST

Projects must commence between: 1 August – 31 December 2026 and be completed by 30 June 2027.

Learn more and apply: oranaarts.com

Enquiries:
Sharon Quill
Operations and Engagement Manager, Orana Arts Inc.
E. communications@oranaarts.com
Ph. 0419 228 719

The Orana Arts Small Grants Program is supported by Regional Arts NSW and the NSW Government through Create NSW.