THE REGIONAL ARTS FUND: Mirror Field, Regional Artist Mentorship in Experimental Practice

20/8/2026 

Between March and May this year, artist Natasha Dusenjko from the south coast of NSW was funded by the Regional Arts Fund Quick Response Grants to take part in a mentorship project with Liberty (E.B.Kerr), an experimental composer and sound artist based in Eurobodalla.

Dusenjko undertook the mentorship to work on her project Mirror Field, a new physical art space that explored how improvisation, chance, and material processes function as conceptual foundations across photography, sound, performance, and publication. Over these three months, the two artists met for 12 sessions in a dedicated studio space in Narooma, combining discussion, improvisational jam sessions, and studio visits with intensive folio review. By working with Liberty, Dusenjko gained experience in improvisation, experimentation, and chance as foundational creative principles.

Dusenjko was awarded a Create NSW Professional Development grant for this mentorship project, but after her original plans fell through, she needed additional funding at the last minute. Her new mentorship with Liberty meant that she now needed to rent studio space, which was enabled by the Quick Response Grant she received.

Mirror Field established a new, ongoing collaborative relationship between two regional artists that continues to generate opportunities for new work and presentation across the Far South Coast.

Dusenjko explains the impact of the project further, stating:

“My favourite aspect of the project was the way the dedicated studio space functioned as container, allowing a single concept to develop and shapeshift across multiple outcomes and mediums simultaneously. The physical space made the work visible and accessible in ways a private studio never could, creating genuine exchange between experimental practice and the local community.

The most significant unexpected discovery was how beneficial and productive a dedicated local residency space could be for regional artists working within their own communities. In Mirror Field, a local artist, deeply embedded in community and place, given dedicated time and space within their own region, produced outcomes with immediate community resonance and lasting professional impact.

The lasting impact of this project is profound. Mirror Field clarified and crystallised the core methodology underlying a decade of practice, grounding both ongoing creative work and future professional development.”

Liberty also commented, stating, “Over 3 months, I mentored artist Natasha Dusenjko as part of her Mirror Field project with the focus of supporting and nurturing the expansion of her art form to incorporate sound and improvised experimentation. It was an honour to support Natasha in this way and to witness the evolution of her practice and artistic engagement over the course of the mentorship.”

Because this project was funded, both artists were able to begin a fruitful and ongoing partnership that expanded their practice and benefited their local community. Dusenjko’s project, therefore, exemplifies the importance of the Regional Arts Fund Quick Response Grants, which enable artists to participate in significant opportunities like this, despite facing unanticipated circumstances or costs.

Learn more about Natasha Dusenjko here. 

Mirror Field/Unfinished Songs and Pictures exhibition held at Mirror Field studio, Narooma. Photo by Natasha Dusenjko. 

This project was supported by the Regional Arts Fund, part of the Australian Government’s Arts and Cultural Development Program managed by Regional Arts Australia. Regional Arts NSW administers this grant in NSW and is proud to have been involved in making this project happen.

Cover image: Natasha Dusenjko and Liberty at Unfinished Songs and Pictures, June 7 2026 held at Mirror Field studio, Narooma. Photo by Elise Idiens.