- Three young Western Australian creatives offered $24,000 in grants funding
- Next Level 2025 Fellowships supporting regional artists aged 18 to 26
- Funding helps encourage young regional artists and arts workers to develop careers in the arts
Three young and emerging regional Western Australian creative professionals have been offered grants of $8,000 through the Next Level 2025 Fellowship program that will support creative activity and professional development for one year.
Receiving the Next Level 2025 Fellowship grants are:
- Emily O'Brien - Great Southern
- Laura Sykes - South West
- Karrak Gregory - South West.
The Girl with the Colourful Mind is a dance work by Emily O'Brien exploring autism, mental health, and self-acceptance. This fellowship will expand its production, supported by Assembly 197 and DADAA, with mentorship from Jessica Ruggera and Annette Carmichael. The theme: It's OK not to be OK.
For The Light Between Worlds, Laura Sykes will create new photographic works for her first solo exhibition at Arts Narrogin (June 2026). The process includes studio and on-location shoots, mentorship from Astrid Volzke and Claire Billie Bushby, and a website documenting the project's evolution from concept to exhibition.
Karrak Gregory's project includes the production, release, and marketing of his debut four-song EP and music video for one track. The project involves songwriting, recording, and visual storytelling, supported by marketing mentorship from Sinead O'Hara. The work explores personal narratives through music and imagery.
The Next Level Fellowship program is delivered by Regional Arts WA, with funding through the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program, a Cook Government initiative that supports sustainable arts in regional WA.
As stated by Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk:
"The diversity of this year's recipients' projects highlights the depth of WA's creative industries.
"Encouraging our young and emerging regional artists and arts workers to develop and grow their careers in their own backyard is an important step in building a sustainable creative industries sector, as well as strengthening our regional economies.
"It is fantastic this program continues to deliver exciting projects that will help regional communities stay connected through culture and the arts."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson:
"It is fabulous that State Governmentfunding continues to deliver benefits to regional WA by building capacity and expanding opportunity for the arts in regional areas.
"Support of productions like this to tour regionally helps inspire people of all ages to support WA's creative industries and help grow strong and vibrant regional communities that are desirable places to live, work and invest."
