Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips with Milton Folk, Jazz and Blue Festival organiser Jacob Woods at a 2025 fundraising event featuring bands, Sue and Pete, The Condiments and Bones Atlas. Photo: Supplied.
Two Shoalhaven community events are among those receiving a funding boost.
The Federal Government’s Festivals Australia program has returned, supporting projects around Australia that engage audiences through performance, workshops, installations, or exhibitions.
They can be delivered at a festival or a significant one-off community event.
The Milton Folk, Jazz and Blues Festival is gearing up for its second outing and has received a $44,835 grant for a pop-up Jazz Lab.
The Jazz Lab will transform a Milton street into a science lab – with a musical twist.
Ulladulla High School (UHS) science students and Budawang school art students will collaborate with locally-based set designer Andrea Espinoza to create theatrical, lab-inspired staging and a striking mural.
Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips said last year’s festival was welcomed by the community.
“I attended the inaugural event last year and was impressed with the diverse range of entertainment and talent pulled together by Jacob Woods and his team.
“From buskers and street performers to dancing under Milton’s iconic Chinese Elm tree – the town was buzzing.”
Each night of the festival will open with the UHS Ensemble, before Sydney’s Symphonette performs on the Friday and Manfredo Lament the following day.
Uncomfortable Science will headline the event, where renowned jazz musician Laneous (Lachlan Mitchell) will conduct five acclaimed players using whiteboard prompts to create thrilling, fully improvised performances.
“To be held from [1 to 3 May], this fabulous new festival weaves through Milton’s streets, parks, pubs and venues with more than 50 performances across more than 20 locations throughout the village,” Ms Phillips said.
But it wasn’t the only event to benefit from the cash splash, after the Tomerong School of Arts Centenary of Celebration also received funding.
A $27,340 grant will be put towards the Tomerong Hall Oral History and Art Project: If These Walls Could Talk.
Mrs Phillips said the local history project would create an interactive archive that chronicled Tomerong Hall’s 100-year history.
“Tomerong Hall is the heart of the village and this celebration, in October 2026, will affirm a century of local voices and stories through conversations and an immersive, multimedia installation.”
In the lead-up to the festivities, the Tomerong community has been asked to record their stories, which will be amplified by the artistic team through video art, soundscape and hanging murals for the display.
Local heroes will also be invited to become hosts of memory stations using memorabilia and photos to trigger conversations.
More than $700,000 in funding will be provided to 21 regional and remote festivals (including in the south-east) through the Festivals Australia program.
“I’m really proud to deliver funding for these great events that provide a platform for local and visiting artists to share their work and engage with audiences in two of our beautiful villages,” Mrs Phillips said.
“I’m proud to support local creatives and to help promote two great events for locals and visitors to enjoy.
“The program provides $1.4 million each year to projects that give people in regional and remote Australia the opportunity to experience arts and culture in their local community.
For Minister for the Arts Tony Burke, the funding is a way to help champion regional creatives.
“Regional festivals are woven into the fabric of communities and are the talk of the town,” Mr Burke said.
“Our support for festivals drives local economies through fostering cultural tourism and bringing more visitors into our regions.”
The Milton Folk, Jazz and Blues Festival is set to return from 1 to 3 May. Find out more on its website.
Tomerong Hall will mark its centenary in October 2026, with more information available on its Facebook page.
