MADE NEW Expressions of Interest - 2026 Festival
Following the success of the 2025 festival, New Annual is seeking local artists who want to be involved in Newcastle’s flagship arts festival in 2026.
The MADE NEW program aims to amplify local artists and celebrate the exceptional creative talent within our region through new works within the festival.
We are looking for new work that tells a story in an unusual way or plays with form. Be lateral in your thinking as we love out of the box ideas – the main parameter we have is the budget, with a maximum of $40K per project available for fully delivered projects.
2026 EOI BRIEF
In 2026, applications are welcomed that meet the following criteria:
• Site specific work that responds to a local site or tells a local story.
• Work that fosters collaboration between artists (either a local artist collaborating with a national artist or local artists collaborating) and work that encourages collaboration across artforms.
• New works that have not had a Newcastle season and are timely and relevant. You should be able to answer the question “Why Newcastle?” in your application.
• Can demonstrate a clear audience strategy and understanding of your target audience. Bonus points if you have an existing audience who can support your work during the festival.
EOI SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants need to reside in Newcastle or the surrounding areas. Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
• Artistic merit 
• Alignment to the EOI brief
• The work has a strong connection to place
• The project demonstrates viability, particularly regarding budget, timeframes, audience strategy and mode of delivery
FUNDS + SUPPORT
Applicants can apply for funding ranging from AUD $20,000 per project up to a maximum of AUD $40,000 per project. Projects can be either self-produced, or co-produced with New Annual. Works co-produced with New Annual will decrease the overall awarded budget for the work.