AusArt Day, Australia’s national day of giving to the arts, returns on Thursday 22 October, with more than 350 artists and arts organisations taking part in a coordinated fundraising campaign. Delivered by Creative Australia, the initiative invites the public to donate directly to participating artists and organisations to support their creative work.
Now in its second year, the campaign brings together participants across dance, music, theatre, literature, film, design and visual arts. Audiences can browse an online Participant Gallery, learn what each participant is raising funds for and follow links to make a donation.
For dance, the campaigns reflect the breadth of activity across the country, from developing new choreography and supporting independent practice to regional touring, youth performance and accessible community programs.
Australian Dance Party, Chunky Move, Dancenorth Australia, DRILL Performance Company, James Batchelor and Collaborators, Lucy Guerin Inc and STRUT Dance are among the participating independent artists and companies. Stephanie Lake Company is fundraising for ESCALATOR, its emerging choreographer program, supporting opportunities for new choreographic voices.
Regional organisations are also well represented. Participants include NSW’s FLING Physical Theatre and Golden Thursdays, Tasmania’s Great Southern Dance, and the Northern Territory’s SLIDE Youth Dance Theatre and Duprada Dance Company. Duprada is raising funds to tour in 2027.
Several initiatives focus on access and inclusion. Golden Thursdays is led by five artists with diverse lived experiences. In the Northern Rivers, Sprung Dance Theatre is fundraising for Dis-Co Ball, its annual celebration of people with disability. Western Australia’s Lifespan Dance creates seated dance classes and performances, incorporating standing movement where practicable and opportunities for choreographic connection.
Other participants provide space and support for emerging artists. Brisbane’s Studio1 is Queensland’s only dedicated home for independent dance and body-based practice. Canberra’s Burlesque Academy and Western Sydney’s Compañía Pepa Molina, which supports emerging flamenco artists, are also participating.
Opportunities for young dancers feature through Ausdance ACT’s Youth Dance Festival 2026, The Metaverse, alongside the work of FLING Physical Theatre and Canberra’s Quantum Leap.
The inaugural AusArt Day in 2025 raised $2.42 million from 4,768 individual donors, supporting 323 artists and arts organisations. Almost half of those donors — 48 per cent — were giving to their chosen participant for the first time, suggesting the event helped artists and organisations reach supporters beyond their existing donor networks.
Creative Australia chief executive Adrian Collette AM said the initiative connects audiences’ everyday engagement with the arts to support for the people who make that work.
“Our research shows that 97% of Australians engage with the arts, often without necessarily thinking of it as ‘the arts’,” Collette said. “AusArt Day is an opportunity to recognise the artists and organisations behind those experiences and directly support the work we value.”
Alongside the public campaign, Creative Australia is providing resources, workshops and advertising materials, as well as $500,000 in microgrants to help participants develop their fundraising campaigns. Following last year’s event, 74 per cent of participating artists and organisations reported growth in their fundraising skills and confidence.
Details of participating artists and organisations, their projects and donation links are available through the 2026 AusArt Day Participant Gallery.