MADE NEW : 2025 Applications OPEN

MADE NEW Expression of Interest

New Annual, City of Newcastle's flagship arts and cultural festival, seeks expressions of interest for future festival programs. The MADE NEW program aims to amplify local artists and celebrate the exceptional creative talent within our region through new works within the festival.

Professional local artists and artists connected to Greater Newcastle, who work across interdisciplinary art forms, including visual arts, dance, theatre, music, and multimedia are encouraged to apply. The project should see the artist/s experimenting and pushing the boundaries of their creative practice, responding to their chosen space.

The selected projects or works will be presented as part of the upcoming New Annual festival, running from 26 Sept - 5 Oct 2025.

Your proposed event can be a one-off event or performance, an exhibition, or presented more than once successively throughout the festival period.

Successful applicants are expected to self-produce their work, however they will have access to support from the festival curator and technical producer.

Successful applicants are expected to supply high quality imagery and video prior to the marketing deadline to ensure that their programs can be included in the festival's marketing campaign.

KEY DATES

FUNDS + SUPPORT
Applicants can apply for funding of up to AUD $40,000 per project. Your Expression of Interest must include a budget breakdown of all fees, materials, production costs, cast and crew fees, and additional expenses. For an example of a detailed budget breakdown, please see template here.

Successful applicants will be included in the New Annual festival program, which ensures support from the festival and City of Newcastle in the following ways:

• Marketing: New Annual will include your event in all relevant marketing to maximise the success of your event. This involves inclusion on the website, in the printed brochure, and a dedicated digital/social advertising campaign for your event. Your event will be included in relevant festival paid advertising and organic social media content.
  You are encouraged to conduct your own marketing via your own channels.
• Publicity: our festival publicist will pitch to relevant media on your behalf and include you in all relevant media releases and media opportunities (based on publisher alignment).
  You are encouraged to also conduct your own publicity.
• Production: in-kind venue support, and access to technical production support where applicable and feasible. Please note New Annual does not have access to CN venues free of charge.

WHO CAN APPLY
New Annual welcomes applications from professional artists across all art forms. We seek those living and creating in Newcastle and surrounding areas or demonstrating a genuine connection to the region. Applying artists can propose collaborations with artists from outside the local region, including interstate and international if this is critical to the project and feasible within budget and travel conditions.

We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who identify as LGBTIQ+, and people living with disabilities.

MADE NEW EOI BRIEF - ‘Harmony and Dissonance': Connecting Communities through Art.
For New Annual 2025 our theme is 'Harmony and Dissonance: Connecting Communities through Art,'. It aims to support new work that explores the dynamic relationships between the city's diverse communities, their cultural interests, and the transformative power of art.

This theme encourages artists to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) that go beyond representation to explore the transformative potential of art in bridging gaps and fostering unity within the City of Newcastle.

The theme 'Harmony and Dissonance' is an opportunity to reflect on the city's cultures, histories, and landscapes while addressing contemporary challenges with creative solutions. We look forward to your interpretations and contributions that will make New Annual 2025 a unique and unifying experience for the entire community.

Please see here for additional prompts that could be considered by artists submitting an EOI. Please note these are intended to provide a jumping off point, guide or inspirations and are not intended to be prescriptive.

EOI SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants need to reside in Newcastle or the surrounding areas. Applications will be assessed against the below criteria:

• Artistic merit  
• Alignment to the EOI brief
• The work has a strong connection to place 
• The project demonstrates viability, particularly regarding budget, timeframes, and mode of delivery

FAQS
Can I apply for 'MADE NEW' if I live outside Newcastle or the surrounding area? 
If you live outside of Newcastle or the surrounding area, you are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant for 'MADE NEW'. However, if you are collaborating with an artist who lives in Newcastle or the surrounding area, they can be the primary applicant for your project. 

Can I work with artists outside the region?
Applying artists can propose collaborations with artists from outside the local region, interstate and internationally, if this is feasible within budget and travel.

Can I apply for additional funding for my project from other sources?
Yes you can, however you must be able to present the project within the 'MADE NEW' budget. Additional funds can be used to amplify project outcomes, but a project for the 2025 festival cannot rely on additional funds unless they are secured at the time of submission. Artists must advise New Annual of any additional funding and any subsequent acknowledgement requirements.

QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about applying, or would like assistance with accessibility requirements contact newannual@ncc.nsw.gov.au

Privacy Statement For more information on our privacy statement, please click here: www.newannual.com/privacy-statement

Photo: 2024 MADE NEW project Morphology by Jono Everett (Everett Creative) and Hannah Cheetham (Built In-Kind), photographed by Edwina Richards.