Faster arts grant system grows southern branch

After 13 years of funding over $100,000 in grassroots projects in Wollongong, including the very first Yours and Owls Festival, a proven model for community-led philanthropy, the Culture Bank model, is moving further south.

South Coast Arts has signed a memorandum of understanding with Port Kembla’s Our Community Project to establish Culture Bank South Coast, taking a proven crowdfunding system and applying it to Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven.

“When Culture Bank Wollongong approached South Coast Arts about extending it into our region, what began as an initial conversation quickly grew into a genuinely exciting mutual partnership,” says Louise Croker, executive director of South Coast Arts.

“I'd like to warmly acknowledge the team at Culture Bank Wollongong for their generosity in sharing their model and their genuine enthusiasm for seeing it take root on the South Coast.

“This kind of work doesn't happen without people who are willing to back a good idea early, and we're grateful for everyone who has.”

With countless creators and performers in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven area, funding rarely keeps up with the talent. Louise says investment in the arts is a practical necessity for regional identity and wellbeing.

“The creative arts aren't a luxury; they're part of how our communities process, celebrate, grieve, connect and imagine something better together,” she says.

“When we invest in creative practice in our region, we're investing in community wellbeing, local identity and the kind of belonging that can't be manufactured.”

Standard grant cycles are often slow, bureaucratic and disconnected from what’s happening on the ground. Louise and her collaborators want to change that.

“I’m hoping Culture Bank South Coast becomes a responsive, accessible funding opportunity that moves at the speed creative people actually need, rather than the slow pace of traditional grant cycles," Louise says.

The Culture Bank model operates as a collective pool of funding, from community, back into the community.

How it works:

1. Building the pool: The process begins with residents and businesses signing up for small, recurring monthly donations.
2. The threshold: Once the pool hits $10,000, applications open. Creatives across the Shoalhaven, Kiama, and Shellharbour can then apply through a simple process designed to be fast and accessible.
3. The community vote: In a shift away from traditional boards, funding decisions are shaped entirely by donors who contributed to the pool.

“It’s a beautifully direct model,” Louise explains. “Local people choosing to back local creatives, with every funded project determined worthy by the community that invested in it.”

The expansion is in the pool-building phase. South Coast Arts is calling for monthly subscribers to help reach the initial $10,000 mark.

“The kinds of projects we're hoping to support through Culture Bank South Coast are genuinely exciting and reflect the incredible breadth of creative practice happening across our region – from youth comedy, exhibitions and theatre production, to puppetry, filmmaking, street murals and original music rooted in South Coast identity,” Louise says.

“These are projects that connect people, build skills, celebrate place and create lasting cultural impact in our communities.”

“More than anything, I want creatives in our region to feel genuinely seen and supported by the community around them, to know that their neighbours, their local businesses, and everyday people believe their work has value.”

How to get involved

To be a donor and get a vote in future funding, sign up at southcoastarts.org.au/projects/culture-bank-south-coast and start a monthly donation. To stay connected to everything that South Coast Arts is doing, follow on Instagram @southcoast.arts and join their newsletter via the website.

“Every contribution, big or small, goes directly toward supporting local creatives. As a donor, you won't just be giving money; you'll have a genuine say in which creative projects receive funding, making you an active part of our regional creative community.”

Call for artworks for new health centre in Warrawong

Illawarra artists are invited to submit expressions of interest to provide artworks for the Warrawong Community Health Centre. Construction on the $780 million purpose-built facility is expected to finish this year and selected artworks will be displayed in consultation and interview rooms to create a welcoming, culturally inclusive environment. Health Infrastructure has partnered with South Coast Arts to support artists through the application process; local creatives may contact Louise Croker via emailing director@southcoastarts.org.au or book a meeting online. EOIs close at 11:59pm on April 30, 2026.