NORPA is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a significant four-year grant from The Ian Potter Foundation, marking a major investment in the future of regional creative practice and a powerful endorsement of NORPA’s nationally recognised work.
The grant will support NORPA’s ambitious long-term framework focused on strengthening creative capacity and expanding artistic activity within the region. NORPA’s new home and cultural hub, The Joinery, will be activated through a suite of six annual, artist‑led initiatives offering development, collaboration and engagement opportunities for artists.
The Ian Potter Foundation is one of Australia’s major philanthropic funders of the arts. To be recognised through this grant places NORPA among the country’s most respected arts organisations and highlights the national significance of work being made in our region.
“This incredible support from The Ian Potter Foundation has come at a time when we have reinvented the company to meet the opportunities and vision we have for The Joinery and a new NORPA. This funding enables increased focus on local artist initiatives and engagement with local and national creatives, to animate our new home. These new initiatives also fuel the development of our signature works by developing on going collaborations with creatives and performers – it’s a dream scenario for a theatre company and our creative hub at The Joinery,” said NORPA’s Artistic Director, Julian Louis.
NORPA Executive Director Libby Lincoln said the investment reflects sustained artistic excellence and vision. “This grant recognises the quality of work that can be created in a regional context, and the importance of long-term investment in artists and the creative workforce,” she said. “It enables NORPA to grow sustainably alongside our local sector, take artistic risks, provide employment, and support meaningful creative pathways. We are proud to have our work acknowledged at a national level.”
Louise Joel, Senior Program Manager – Arts at The Ian Potter Foundation, said, “This grant has been awarded to NORPA to underpin programming and local artist development, and to strengthen the organisation’s operating capacity as it transitions into new premises in 2026. Providing this level of investment to regional arts organisations is critical to ensuring a diverse range of programs can be activated, unlocking opportunities for artists and the wider community.”
Creative adaptation and creative sustainability
Central to the vision, The Joinery is designed as a space for creative development, regional storytelling and national collaboration. Purpose built to support artists and communities, the space responds to key infrastructure gaps identified in regional and state cultural strategies. The Ian Potter grant will support the delivery of artistic activity within the hub — ensuring it is a vibrant, working centre where artists and communities can come together.
The program brings together a suite of artist first initiatives focused on development, collaboration and experimentation, reinforcing NORPA’s role as a leader in artist development from a regional base.
National Impact from a Regional Centre
The funding also supports an embedded review and evaluation process, allowing the framework to continue to adapt in response to sector needs. Learnings from the program will shape NORPA’s future activity and contribute practical insights for other regional arts organisations working towards sustainable creative models.
About The Ian Potter Foundation
The Ian Potter Foundation is one of Australia’s major philanthropic foundations. The Foundation makes grants nationally to support charitable organisations working to benefit the community across a wide range of sectors including the arts, medical research, public health research, early childhood development, community wellbeing and environmental science. The Ian Potter Foundation aims to support and promote a fair, healthy, sustainable and vibrant Australia.
Photo by Tajette O’Halloran