A project to improve access to live theatre for Deaf and hard of hearing audiences is among nine initiatives to receive funding through the City of Coffs Harbour’s Arts and Cultural Development Grants Program 2026–27.
The Coffs Harbour Musical Comedy Company has been awarded $6,000 for its Breaking Barriers: Accessible Theatre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Audiences project.
The project will deliver Auslan-interpreted performances for productions in 2026 and 2027, strengthen engagement with the local Deaf community to support inclusive and culturally appropriate delivery, and purchase assistive listening technology to improve audience access.
“Coffs Harbour is blessed with an incredibly diverse community – it is one of our real strengths. The wide range of activities to win funding through the program this year reflects the richness of our cultural life,” Mayor Nikki Williams said.
City Events, Sport and Cultural Services Group Leader Sharon McDougall said the program attracted 21 eligible applications.
“It was a competitive process with the assessment panel scoring each application against the grant criteria,” McDougall said.
The other successful recipients are:
- Woolgoolga and Northern Beaches Chamber of Commerce — $5,900 for 20th Year Curryfest, which will expand the festival’s cultural program with new attractions on the main festival day and Bollywood cabaret performances across surrounding days to strengthen the event’s tourism appeal.
- Arran Saunders — $2,000 for Clay Connections, a community arts project bringing together women from refugee and culturally diverse backgrounds to explore memory, identity and connection through ceramics, wool wrapping and storytelling, culminating in a collaborative art installation.
- Jade Symons — $2,500 for Somewhere on Gumbaynggirr Country, a project to publish a collection of 25–30 stories, host community conversations and share content online, documenting the experiences of refugees, migrants, Gumbaynggirr people, long-term residents and other culturally diverse community members.
- Taranta Arts Inc — $7,000 for Taranta Festival Opening Night at Jetty Theatre, a gala performance featuring the Taranta Orchestra and visiting artists celebrating traditional southern Italian folk music as the official opening of the 2026 festival.
- Woolgoolga Art Group Inc — $3,540 for Let’s Face It, a portrait exhibition and artist-led workshops to coincide with the Archibald Prize exhibition at Yarrila Arts and Museum.
- Sawtell Art Gallery — $3,500 for Bridging Worlds Intergenerational Art Studio, an eight-week program bringing together young people and older residents to create artworks across a range of mediums, culminating in a public exhibition and digital publication.
- Michael Bryers — $5,500 for Sawtell Chilli Festival, expanding the festival’s cultural program with a “Chilli World Tour” theme celebrating international food, music, dance and street performance.
- Samantha Ross — $4,000 for Heart Farm Rural Company, a regional dance and movement project developing original performance work through creative intensives, workshops and a community showcase.
Like what you’re reading? Support North Coast Times by making a small contribution today and help us keep delivering local news paywall-free. Donate now