Country Art Support Program (CASP)

The first round of Country Arts Support Program (CASP) funding was open to south coast artists in August 2022.

Applicants were invited to submit an expression of interest for ‘seed funding’ to research and develop a new project idea or creative process. The idea of ‘seed funding’ was to offer artists support during the explorative stage of a process, without the pressure of a public outcome or finished product. Instead, the focus has been on discovery.

Projects were able to commence in September 2022 to be completed by April 2023.

Recipients of this round of CASP funding will be invited to present ‘where they have arrived at’ and share the outcomes of their research and ‘next steps’ at a formal gathering in March 2023.

Hein Cooper,

musician/composer, is facilitating a song-writing process and record songs with locals from Milton/Ulladulla in response to live changing events (fire, flood, Covid)

Greer Taylor, Jillian O’Dowd & Harry Kielly,

multi-arts collaborators, are developing a story board based on Greer’s poetic concept ‘co-evolution: a chronical of decay and infinity’.

Jacob Peterson,

poet and rapper, is developing a new concept album, ‘Green and Keen’ with artists from the local music scene

Jodi Edwards,

First Nations academic and language holder is facilitating a consultative process with Shellharbour Elders and community for the development of an ‘arts precinct’ for First Nations young people

Nigel Helyer,

sound artist, is collaborating with communities living in Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin, to investigate their relations with water-ways through an arts/science prism

Peter Lavelle,

theatre director, is working with local actors to launch the ‘Shoalhaven Shakespeare Company’ and developing scenes from ‘Much Ado about Nothing’.

The Country Arts Support Program supports 'seed funding' for creative research projects