Create NSW and Office for Regional Youth Holiday Break Program
Applications for the Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break Program for Spring/Summer school holidays have now closed.
Create NSW and the Office for Regional Youth are partnering to respond to the gaps and opportunities for children and young people participating in arts and culture in regional NSW.
Accessibility
If you are an applicant with disability or who is d/Deaf, and you require this information in a format which is accessible to you, or if you require this information in another language, you can contact us on (02) 9228 4578 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
The National Relay service numbers are:
TTY users: Phone 133 677 then ask for (02) 9228 4578.
Speak and Listen users: Phone 1300 555 727 then ask for (02) 9228 4578.
Internet Relay users: Connect to NES then ask for (02) 9228 4578
Overview
The Holiday Break Program aims to deliver a rotating school holiday program of cultural events for young people (12–24 years old) across regional NSW, with a focus on the resilience of the newest generation being affected by drought, bushfires, floods and COVID-19. It provides the opportunity for them to enjoy a range of recreational and social activities that are responsive, free, and local, so their creativity, imagination and self-confidence is enhanced. It also builds on their physical, social, cognitive and emotional development skills.
The 2023 program has been extended to include more artforms and opportunities to provide positive social and economic impacts for young people and through the value that the cultural and creative sector brings, while also increasing employment opportunities for NSW based artists and cultural workers.
Key Dates
- Spring Holidays, 25 September – 6 October 2023
- Summer Holidays, 20 December 2023 – 29 January 2024
When can I apply for funding?
Applications for the Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break Program and the Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break First Nations Projects closed on Thursday, 4 May 2023.
What can I apply for?
Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break Program
Applicants may apply for the following amounts across four (4) artform categories:
- Music Workshops – $20,000
Individuals and/or groups and organisations are invited to present a music five day camp in regional NSW that introduces young people to the benefits of making music and engage them with music organisations. The program will cover multiple artforms of music and expression including contemporary, hip-hop, folk, jazz, rock n roll and classical.
- Dance and Physical Theatre Camp – $20,000
Creative Kids providers and Dance / Physical Theatre organisations are invited to deliver a Dance and Physical Theatre Camp over five days in regional NSW. The programs can involve Dance, Physical Theatre, Choreography, Parkour and Circus Arts.
- Drama Camp – $20,000
Creative Kids providers, Drama organisations and individual arts professionals are invited to deliver a Drama Camp over five days in regional NSW. Genres can include acting for theatre or screen, play building, improvisation, mask work and mime.
- Storytelling Workshops – $10,000
Individuals or groups/organisations are invited to run creative storytelling workshops of all types in regional NSW. Workshops can be in any form of storytelling, be it visual, written or verbal. Example forms include podcasting, manga/comic book creation, slam poetry, flip book animation and any form of creative writing.
Apply Now for Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break Program
Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break First Nations Projects
- Applicants may apply for grants up to $50,000
First Nations Arts and Cultural organisations, individuals and groups are invited to propose creative arts projects in an artform of their choice that best reflects the needs and skills of the community. Applications are open to visual art, dance, storytelling, music, fashion design, jewellery making, or digital art. Participants will be invited to tell their stories, and those of their people and Country, through this medium. In addition to the obvious outcomes of sharing culture and history, this project will also provide positive outcomes for participant wellbeing.
Apply Now for Create NSW 2023 Holiday Break First Nations Projects
What support is available to me?
After reviewing the guidelines, you may contact a staff member if you need advice between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
Telephone: (02) 9228 4578
Email: arts.funding@create.nsw.gov.au
Contact the Arts Funding team directly.
Helpful links
- Find out more about the Holiday Break Program here.
- Regional NSW destinations are defined by Office of Regional Youth as the following LGAs: 2023 Holiday Break Program Eligible Local Government Areas (LGAs) here.
Previous Holiday Break Activities (Summer 2022-23)
MUSIC AND SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS
APRA AMCOS SongMakers Sessions
The APRA AMCOS SongMakers Holiday Sessions program is a travelling song writing mentoring scheme, targeted at budding songwriters and music producers in regional NSW. Young people will write songs, record, and learn about music industry careers from some of Australia’s most exciting hitmakers over two days.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 17 January Hume Conservatorium, Goulburn
- 16 – 17 January Mitchell Conservatorium, Lithgow
- 18 – 19 January Maker Space Parkes
- 23 – 24 January New England Conservatorium, Armidale
- 24 – 25 January Merimbula School of Music, Bega
WRITERS ON THE ROAD WORKSHOPS
WestWords
Over the school holidays from Winter 2022 to Summer 2023 we are providing young and emerging writers (12–24 years old) in Orange and Broken Hill with creative writing workshops. Further to theses series of workshops we are providing in term opportunities for these young writer’s access to our wider activities through our online Creative Kids eligible after-school writing classes, writing groups and online resources. Publications and podcasts will be developed out of the programs to showcase and share their work.
Dates and locations:
- 30 January – 1 February 2023, Broken Hill
Write On! Shoalhaven School Holiday Writing Program
The South Coast Writers Centre presents a program of author talks, writing workshops, and hands-on creative activities for Shoalhaven teens (ages 12-18) this Spring school holidays by award-winning and internationally published authors at Ulladulla and Nowra Library, and Shoalhaven Regional Gallery. All the events are free.
Dates and locations:
- 5 – 6 January 2023, Zine Art Collage Workshop, Shoalhaven and Ulladulla
- 11 – 12 January 2023, Script Writing Workshop, Nowra and Ulladulla
- 13 January 2023, Poetry Workshop, Sanctuary Point
- 17 – 19 January 2023, Short Story Creative Writing Workshop, Nowra and Ulladulla
Griffin Theatre Company Ltd
Unlocking the Local is a series of five-day writing workshops conducted by Griffin Theatre for young theatre makers in Lismore and Lake Macquarie. The workshops are an extension of Griffin’s highly successful and long-running Ambassadors program and aims to inspire young people to learn playwriting skills to tell their own local stories.
Dates and locations:
- 3 – 7 January 2023, Lake Macquarie
- 9 – 13 January 2023, Lismore
Phillip Gwynne
Providing creative writing workshops for 12 to 16 year-olds in partnership with Big Sky Libraries.
Dates and locations:
- 9 – 13 January, Moree
For more information, call +61 481531500.
Voices of Women Inc
A program of writing classes with young women (18 to 24 years old) focussing on monologue as genre and writing for experimental performance outcomes. Workshops held in informal and casual learning spaces where young people gather. Program employs local First Nations and diverse tutors to encourage young diverse attendees and is open to everyone.
Dates and locations:
- 18 – 20 January, Nambucca
Wagga Wagga City Libraries
A program of Zine making workshops across the suburbs and surrounding villages of Wagga Wagga across Summer and Autumn 2023 with works by participants featured at the Halfway Print Fest, an annual celebration that brings together zine-makers for a weekend of immersive DIY culture.
Dates and locations:
- 11 – 18 January, Wagga Wagga
PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS
Tantrum Youth Arts
Workshops and masterclasses in physical theatre, lighting/AV and sound design. Engaging young participants in exploring themes and ideas authentic to their identities. Collaboratively devise a unique, immersive performance
Dates and locations:
- 9 – 13 January 2023, Singleton
Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company’s Teaching Artists and young dancers will explore their own creativity through contemporary dance techniques and creative movement and choreographic tasks. Working with NORPA and the Northern Rivers community, this one-week program will guide participants to develop their artistry and confidence in a collaborative and supportive environment.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 20 January 2023, Lismore
Outback Theatre for Young People
Monsters Have Feelings Too is a workshop series where participants will navigate their reactions to current events alongside professional arts facilitators and local mental health practitioners. Through the lens of art, Outback Theatre for Young People will investigate with participants what ‘our monsters’ are, while creating imaginative non-traditional artworks during a fun and cathartic process of making and inventing.
Dates and locations:
- 9 – 10 January, Deniliquin
Create Hub Riverina
A creative engagement program of playwriting, theatre making, sharing culture, and skills building for young people aged 14 to 18 years old from refugee, migrant, and First Nations backgrounds. The program will culminate in a performance at Wagga Wagga’s outdoor Amphitheatre.
Dates and locations:
- 9 – 14 January 2023, Wagga Wagga
Nic Nac Theatre Company
Led by trained industry professionals, participants collaborate through improvisation, movement, voice, song writing, music, script composition, and visual arts to produce a youth focused contemporary devised piece. The workshop is held in a working theatre, culminating in a performance for family and friends.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 20 January 2023, Nowra
Little Eggs Collective
A program for young people based on ensemble building and multidisciplinary devising practices. Five Little Eggs artists and two regional arts practitioners will work with 20 young people to devise an ensemble piece to be performed to friends and family in the final week of the summer holidays.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 20 January 2023, Maitland
Orana Arts
A partnership with Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) and Orana Arts to reignite and reconnect regional youth aged 12 to 18 through the performing arts. The camp will be delivered as a 5-day residential theatre camp at Burrendong Sport & Recreation Centre in the Central West.
Dates and locations:
- 9 – 13 January 2023, Dubbo
Dance Makers Collective Inc
A choreographic intensive that enables young people to learn practical skills in composition, in a collaborative environment with other young people, working towards a dance theatre work about their lived experience.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 20 January 2023, Port Macquarie
FILM FESTIVALS AND WORKSHOPS
Bus Stop Films
An inclusive smartphone filmmaking program for teenagers and community screening event including the best inclusively made films by Bus Stop Films, SF3 SmartFone Flick Fest and Screenworks. Celebrating creativity, technology, and inclusion and of course the resilient, diverse, and dynamic Northern Rivers community.
Dates and locations:
- 16 – 20 January 2023, Byron Bay
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
In the summer school holidays, young creatives will take part in animation and filmmaking intensives with moving image artists at Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG). Participant’s work will be shared in a family friendly film screening at MRAG and on display alongside exhibition Deborah Kelly’s Gods of Tiny Things.
Dates and locations:
- 19 January 2023, Film Making Workshop, Maitland
- 20 January 2023, Short Film Festival, Maitland
FIRST NATIONS MARKING COUNTRY PROJECT
An intergenerational art and cultural program that responds to the ongoing need to strengthen deep cultural connections between Aboriginal young people and their Elders and cultural Knowledge Holders. The program is designed to invest in the strengthening of Aboriginal young people’s cultural identity. Workshops and public art activations will be led by First Nations mentors working with regional artists, Elders, and students. It will respond to Aboriginal communities’ aspirations to keep culture strong through connections between community, Country and culture.
2023 Summer Holidays Programs include:
- Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance, Coffs Harbour (Gumbaynggirr), Bowraville (Gumbaynggirr) and Kempsey (Dunghutti)
- South East Arts, Narooma (Yuin)
Spring 2023 Holiday Break Activities
Dates and locations will be added shortly.