Regional Arts Australia has announced the investment of over $1 million into 44 creative projects that engage with rural and remote communities across the country.

Supported by the Regional Arts Fund, projects across the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia receive funding to develop and present works across 39 different locations in an effort to “generate employment, build local skills, preserve cultural knowledge and strengthen community identity”.

Ripple Effect Band on a tour supported by a 2024 Regional Arts Fund Project Grant. Photo © Always Live

“The government is making this investment because we believe that no matter where you live, the best of the Australian arts should be within reach,” said Minister for the Arts Tony Burke.

In one of the most ambitious projects funded this round, Mirning Elder and songman Bunna Lawrie and Indigenous singer/songwrighter Jason Lee Scott join forces with composer Corrina Bonshek, Canadian music ensemble Oktoecho and others to adapt Song to the Ocean for a tour of US and Canada.

Blending music from contemporary classical, First Nations, Persian and Middle Eastern traditions, the work features a collaboration with the First Peoples of North America. Titled Song to the Whales,...