Blue Mountains News

The City of the Arts Trust, administered by Council, fosters and strengthens the vibrant arts and cultural fabric of the Blue Mountains. This year’s recipients are:

• David Haines and Joyce Hinterding – Orbital: An ambitious dual exhibition blending geological and atmospheric phenomena with immersive visual art at Blue Mountains City Art Gallery and the newSuperposition Festival.
• Margaret Davis – Lookout/Look Out!: A multi-media theatre work interweaving Darug storytelling, film and live performance which explores the layered histories of our region.
• Jan M Walter – INSEQUENCE Season II: An experimental performance program at SIRC_UIT in Lawson, combining light installation, live coding, and bold performance art.
• Nick Bryant-Smith (aka Horrorshow) – Vantage Point: A new album inspired by Bryant-Smith’s move to Katoomba, celebrating the healing power and creative spirit of the Mountains.
• Kalani Gacon – Tell Me a Story, Grandma: A heartwarming intergenerational filmmaking mentorship connecting young people with isolated seniors to share and celebrate their life stories on screen.
• Emma Jardine – Leura Festival of Music: A world-class chamber music festival activating Leura’s gardens and churches with free and ticketed performances.
• Kate Reid – PLAY! Art and Circus PLAYshops: An interactive program challenging traditional gallery expectations by welcoming play, art and circus into gallery spaces.

Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill said: “The Trust, established in 1996 when the Blue Mountains was named NSW’s first City of the Arts, continues to play a pivotal role in supporting local artists.

“The 2025 grants support a broad variety of projects spanning music, filmmaking, immersive installation, theatre, and interdisciplinary collaboration, affirming the region’s reputation as a dynamic creative hub.

“These projects reflect the creative breadth and depth of our community. They’re original, thoughtful and rooted in place – each one bringing something distinctive to the cultural life of the Blue Mountains.”

Margaret Davis, recipient of funding for Lookout/Look Out!, said: “Funding from Blue Mountains City of the Arts Trust will allow us to complete this long-term collaboration embracing both Indigenous and non-Indigenous stories of settling and unsettling, developed by highly skilled theatre and visual artists from our region.

“The final form of this work as a series of video installations will allow for a wide audience to engage with the central characters and their lived experiences on traditional lands - of those who have always lived here, and those who have come to call this spectacular landscape home.”

Kalani Gacon, who will deliver Tell Me a Story, Grandma, said: “This project is a dream come true - connecting seniors in our community, some with no one to share their stories with, with young people of the Blue Mountains. These young people will be trained to transform the elders’ stories into screenplays and films, preserving the precious stories of our community's elders - how good.”

All projects were assessed against criteria including quality, innovation, capacity and community engagement. Funding will be distributed from August 2025.

For more information about the City of the Arts Trust, visit: here