Creative Australia has announced the recipients of the 2026–27 Creative Futures Fund.

Now in its second year, the Fund is an initiative of the Labor Government’s Natural Cultural Policy, and will invest $5.8 million into 20 large-scale creative works across two different streams and three strategic investments for sector development.

Hand to Earth. Photo © Oli Sansom

Twelve organisations have earned funding through the development stream to “explore new ideas, adapt existing works and test market potential”. These are Assembly 197, Australian Chamber Orchestra with Hand to Earth, Belvoir, Dead Puppet Society, ENCOUNTER, FORM Dance Projects, Hayes Theatre Co, JUTE Theatre Company, Opera Queensland, Performing Lines, re:group performance collective with DEA[f] Collective and The Rabble.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra and Hand To Earth will unite for Ŋgilipitji, a project that offers both a standalone performance and a multi-screen spatial audio installation.

Opera Queensland will develop a brand new opera titled Naria. Composed by Jess Hitchcock with librettist Alison Croggon, the work “brings Western classical tradition into dialogue with the living musical and storytelling cultures of the Torres Strait and Pacific Islands”.