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A songwriting workshop from an Australian Idol star, an epic fantasy series told through a Kimberley First Nations' lens, and a youth art collective in Wagin are just three of the opportunities and programs supported by the Next Level Fellowship program and the new Next Gen funding program.

For the first time in 2024, the State Government has offered grants of up to $3000 for five regional arts organisations to deliver workshops, classes and training tailored to children and young people in regional Western Australia through the Next Gen funding program.

Next Gen will support and employ local artists and engage young people at an invaluable age, helping impart a lifelong passion for the arts.

This new initiative, delivered by Regional Arts WA, joins the existing Next Level Fellowship program, which offers grants of $8000 to regional artists aged 18 to 26 who are building a career in the arts.

Both of these funding programs will support the regional arts sector by empowering young artists and helping to promote diverse, sustainable and passionate creative communities across WA.

The first round of projects to receive Next Gen funding are:

• Shire of Coolgardie — Next Gen Arts Workshops (Goldfields-Esperance)
• Cunderdin Community Resource Centre — Regional Renaissance: Cultivating Creativity Cunderdin (Wheatbelt)
• Wagin Community Resource Centre — Wagin Youth Art Collective (Wheatbelt)
• Shire of Morawa — Galactic Dreamtime Workshop (Midwest)
• Wheatbelt Arts & Events Inc — York Yarns (Wheatbelt)

The recipients of the Next Level 2024 Fellowships are:

• Robbie Fieldwick — promethe(us) (Peel)
• Tahnee Carter — Koa: Book One (Kimberley)
• Amberley Milne — songwriting retreat with producer James Newhouse (South West)
• Amy Reeves — Idol Inspirations: Songwriting Workshops (Kimberley)
• Jessica Le Monnier — ceramics and self-expression workshops (Goldfields-Esperance)

Next Gen and Next Level are supported by the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program with funding managed by Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and delivered by Regional Arts WA.