Arts Mid North Coast is pleased to share that they have been awarded a $10,000 Australia Post Community Grant to deliver a new creative recovery program supporting flood-affected communities in Kempsey and the Nambucca Valley.
“This funding allows us to continue supporting communities that are still managing the long-term impacts of flooding. Creative recovery provides a practical, accessible way for people to come together, process their experiences and strengthen local connections,” says Olivia Parker, Executive Director of Arts Mid North Coast.
Australia Post Community Grants fund projects that strengthen mental wellbeing and community connection, with 88 grants awarded nationally in 2025, including 36 in disaster-impacted regions. The Arts Mid North Coast project was selected for its focus on trauma-informed creative workshops that foster emotional expression, connection, and resilience.
Working with local artists Deb Broughton, Sharyn Brady and Hannah Date, the program will offer hands-on workshops where community members create collaborative artworks for public display.
“We’ve seen through past recovery programs that arts-based activities can play a meaningful role in community wellbeing. This grant enables us to work with local artists to deliver workshops that are responsive to local needs and grounded in lived experience,” says Ms Parker.
Delivered in partnership with Kempsey Shire Council and Nambucca Valley Council, with both councils co-contributing, the project will culminate in 2026 and strengthen their commitment to community-led recovery. It also builds on key learnings from their post-Black Summer Creative Recovery program, which highlighted the vital role arts-based activities play in wellbeing and disaster recovery.
“The partnership with both Kempsey Shire Council and Nambucca Valley Council ensures this program is shaped with and for the communities most affected. Collaboration is essential in recovery, and this support will help us deliver a program with long-term benefits,” says Ms Parker.
Image: Deb Broughton (artist and art therapist), Olivia Parker (Arts MNC), Cr Adam Matchett (Kempsey Shire Council & Arts MNC Board Member), Pat Conaghan MP, Steve Buczko (Kempsey Shire Council).