Create NSW has unveiled its Heartland: A Plan for Regional NSW Arts, Culture and Creative Industries 2026–2035, the state’s first dedicated strategy for regional arts and culture.

Launched in Tamworth following consultation with artists, organisations and communities across regional New South Wales, the 10-year plan sets out six strategic priorities aimed at strengthening the sector, boosting cultural tourism and supporting sustainable creative careers outside metropolitan centres.

The priorities are: championing regional First Nations arts and culture; strengthening regional partnerships and networks; unlocking creative spaces; opening doors to creative careers; showcasing regional storytelling and innovation; and amplifying statewide arts and cultural tourism.

Warren Mason performing at Tin Camp Studio, Lightning Ridge, Outback Arts, 2024. Photo © Outback Outloud / Rainy King.

The plan builds on the NSW Government’s Creative Communities policy and responds to what stakeholders identified as persistent challenges, including uneven access to infrastructure and training, underutilised creative spaces, digital inequity and the impacts of climate-related disasters.

Regional NSW is home to 3.2 million people – nearly 40 percent of the state’s population – and employs more...