Regional Arts Australia has announced eight recipients of its 2026 National Regional Arts Fellowship, with a total funding pool of $140,000 supporting artists and arts workers across regional, rural and remote Australia.

Federally funded through the Regional Arts Fund, the fellowship provides recipients with guaranteed income to pursue creative development, skills-building, research and professional networks.

Unlike project-based grants, the fellowship does not require artists to deliver a specific outcome, giving them the flexibility to determine their own priorities, timelines and creative direction. Fellowship activities will take place from September 2026 to August 2027.

The 2026 Fellows represent a broad range of artistic practices and communities.

Wiradyuri conceptual artist Amala Groom, based in Kelso, NSW, will develop The Constitution, continuing her multidisciplinary exploration of cultural sovereignty, Wiradyuri knowledge and the legacy of colonisation.

Goulburn-based Wiradjuri singer-songwriter and performer Axel Wellings, aged 19, will undertake From Country to Stage: Axel Wellings Fellowship Year, developing his songwriting, composition and vocal performance through advanced training and industry mentorship.

Darwin community arts practitioner Carlo Ansaldo will research established creative and community recovery models for implementation on Larrakia Country, building on his work in community programming and climate-focused arts practice.

South Australian cabaret artist, vocalist, writer and producer Charlee Watt will pursue Beyond Emerging: The Next Act, focused on mentorship and professional development to build a sustainable regional cabaret practice.

Martu artist Corban Clause Williams, from Newman in Western Australia, will use his fellowship to pursue Art Paris 2027, building on a practice rooted in Country, culture and family and his work with Martumili Artists.

In Tasmania, designer-maker Duncan Meerding will explore haptic design methodologies and the possibilities of creating from an alternate sensory world, extending his nationally and internationally recognised practice in materiality, light and perception.

Callala Beach-based visual artist and researcher Michele Barker will investigate the relationship between Arctic melting and regional communities in NSW through Poles Apart, while Tamworth-based Anaiwan cultural practitioner Simon Munro will explore the re-Indigenisation of public space through cultural practice.

Six Creative & Professional Development Fellowships, valued at $20,000 each, have been awarded, alongside two Early Career Development Fellowships worth $10,000 each. At least half of the fellowships are targeted towards cohorts identified by Regional Arts Australia as under-funded or under-represented in the Regional Arts Fund’s competitive grants program.

Regional Arts Australia Executive Director Ros Abercrombie described the fellowship as a “landmark initiative”, saying it provides sustained investment in regional artists and represents a meaningful way of putting the Regional Arts Fund into action.

For more information, visit regionalarts.com.au