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Creative Australia touring programs bring more live performing arts to audiences in remote and regional areas

Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of investment through national touring programs, Playing Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP).

Jan 23, 2026

Creative Australia has announced the latest recipients of investment through national touring programs, Playing Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program (CMTP), supporting artists and organisations to bring live performance to audiences across Australia. 

The latest investment supports tours that will reach audiences of all ages, strengthening connections between artists, presenters and communities nationwide. 

22 projects will be supported through the Contemporary Music Program, with a boost from Music Australia, enabling Australian musicians to take their original music to 87 locations nationwide. 

Highlights include touring support for breakthrough contemporary music acts, major new commissioned works, and family favourites, with performances reaching regional venues, remote communities and young audiences across the country. 

Executive Director of Arts Investment, Alice Nash said:  

“Touring is one of the most powerful ways we can connect communities with live performance. This investment will support artists and organisations to bring music, theatre and dance to audiences right across the country, including regional and remote locations, and help strengthen the networks that make touring possible.” 

Through Playing Australia, touring performing arts organisations will deliver live performance, including theatre, circus and dance, to communities nationwide, including: 

  • Shake & Stir national tour of GRIMM Tales by the Brothers Grimm to 25 regional venues
  • Na Djinang Circus – the renowned First Nations Circus and Physical Theatre company will tour to remote locations. It will also partner with Flipside Circus on a training program
  • Monkey Baa’s landmark tour of the children’s classic ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’, reaching 39 communities across Australia.   

Three additional organisations have also received funding through the Playing Australia Audience Development Program, a multiyear investment program for Playing Australia that focuses on audience development in regional and remote communities aligned with national touring activity.  

The investment will support: 

  • Theatre Royal Hobart (TAS) for TAS 28 – a networked audience development strategy for Tasmania's Performing Arts Centres including Theatre North, Burnie Arts and the Paranaple Arts Centre
  • CircuitWest (WA) to grow audiences for First Nations Performing Arts in Regional Western Australia
  • Central Coast Arts to support Audience Centred Touring – a national consortium of regional presenters to reimagine how touring connects to audiences at The Art House (NSW), Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre (WA). Orange Civic Theatre (NSW), Albany Entertainment Centre (WA), The Events Caloundra (QLD) and Pilbeam Theatre Rockhampton (QLD). 

A full list of recipients is available via the awarded grants list on our website.  


Media contact:  

Brianna Roberts 

Senior Media Manager, Creative Australia 

T: +61 9215 9030 M: +61 498 123 541 

brianna.roberts@creative.gov.au 

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We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations Peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions.

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We acknowledge the many Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and honour their Elders past and present.

We respect their deep enduring connection to their lands, waterways, and surrounding clan groups since time immemorial. We cherish the richness of First Nations peoples’ artistic and cultural expressions. We are privileged to gather on this Country and to share knowledge, culture and art, now and with future generations.

Art by Jordan Lovegrove