ALMOST $100,000 in funding has been awarded to five Hunter creative organisations as part of a five-year plan to support the region's arts industry.
City of Newcastle awarded $94,500 to the recipients who will have the chance to bring their unique ideas to life at this year's New Annual festival.
Featuring free, ticketed and family-friendly events, New Annual will run for 10 days during the spring school holidays from September 27 to October 6, with the full program to be announced later this year.
Design and fabrication workshop Built In-Kind will make its New Annual debut in 2024 as one of the successful program applicants.
The group, which specialises in custom furniture and delivers education to women and diverse communities, will offer The Memory Feast workshops.
Participants will create a sculptural dining hall from recycled materials and finish with a dining experience that showcases local chefs, food, and wineries.
Newcastle Youth Orchestra will debut Mistborn Orchestral Suite, an immersive concert merging music, visuals, and dance to showcase compositions by local Indigenous composer Jacob Cummins.
Newcastle-based dance company Catapult Choreographic Hub will commission a contemporary dance work crafted by acclaimed First Nations choreographer Jasmin Sheppard and performed by a diverse ensemble of artists.
The final recipient of this year's funding, Art Thinking, will create an immersive experience centred on a chair that interacts with users' physical input to generate visuals on LED screens.
Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said continuing to support such a high calibre of local creative talent was integral to New Annual's success.
"Our commitment to fund local talent forms part of our five-year plan to support and grow our region's arts industry while simultaneously attracting renowned artists that will help New Annual achieve national recognition," she said.
"In addition, the festival will strengthen Newcastle's position as a cultural tourism destination, which generates an economic boost for local businesses through hotel stays and increased visitor spending in the city."
Chair of CN's Community and Culture Advisory Committee Cr Carol Duncan said New Annual would continue to provide a high-profile vehicle for innovation, creativity, and entertainment in Newcastle.
"Local artists and performers accounted for more than 60 per cent of New Annual's 2023 programming, and this year we expect the same."
