Culture Mix Development Grants

You need to:

• Work together with community members to create a performance or activity;
• Make or create something new, or teach a cultural activity and build skills for newcomers or beginners;
• Build on an existing performance, tradition or activity so that it is different and exciting;
• Be available for the Culture Mix festival on Saturday 26 September 2026.

Your project can focus on:

• Music performance
• Dance performance
• Roving performance
• Visual art
• Craft
• Festival decorations
• Food
• Other activities suitable for the Culture Mix festival.

Funding can be used for:

• Community-based workshops and project development sessions;
• Choreographer, director, artist or creative mentors (please put their names in your application);
• Rehearsal space hire;
• Costume/props;
• Equipment and materials;
• The group's performance fees on the day;
• Travel or transport costs for attendance at the event.

Please note that your performance fees on the day should be included in your grant costings. If your grant application is successful, there will not be a separate / additional payment or agreement for your performance at the event.

Make sure you also check the 'Activities not funded' section below.

Eligible applicants can apply for a one-off grant up to the value of $3,000 (excl GST).

This funding will include any performance fees for your group at the event.

Funding is open to:

• Applicants who live in the Wollongong Local Government Area, between Windang and Helensburgh;
• Organisations, individuals and groups who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders or culturally and linguistically diverse;
• Creative and cultural practitioners who can demonstrate strong collaboration with multicultural and / or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities;
• Physically and socially isolated communities.

Projects will not be funded for the following:

• Applicants who do not live in the Wollongong Local Government Area and projects conducted outside the Wollongong LGA;
• Artists or arts organisations that are party-political or whose purpose is primarily political;
• Government departments, foundations, grant-making or fundraising bodies;
• Artists or arts organisations or applications that seek to exclude or offend parts of the community;
• Artists or arts organisations that have an outstanding debt to Wollongong City Council or that have failed to comply with the terms and conditions of any previous funding agreement with Wollongong City Council;
• Where projects will financially benefit a profit-making individual, organisation or government department;
• Where an acquittal has not been received for a previous Wollongong City Council grant;
• Current Wollongong City Council employees, their immediate families and Council contractors;
• Artists who are currently supported by Wollongong City Council through a funding program for the same concept and / or activity;
• Where applications are received by Wollongong City Council after the published closing date.

Funding will not be provided for food and drinks at the event or rehearsals.

• A panel of Council officers and one non-Council member will assess the applications.
• Applications recommended for support will be presented to Council's General Manager to approve.
• Successful applicants will receive an agreement to sign. The agreement states the terms and conditions of the grant money.
• All successful projects must be delivered on time as agreed.
• After the Festival, you need to send us a short report, including the details of how you spent the grant money. A form will be provided for this.

Applicants must identify and declare any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest (if applicable) in accordance with Council’s Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policy. These policies can be found on the Council Policies page.

No employee of Council may seek or receive a personal benefit or be perceived to receive a personal benefit as a result of sponsorship allocation from Council.

We can help you understand the application over the phone or face to face.

We can also provide interpreting or translation to help you understand the information.

If you need help or more information, please email Vimala Colless at vcolless@wollongong.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 4227 7111.