THE RESIDENCIES
CURRENT RESIDENCIES
Shark Island Kangaroo Valley offers a selection of residencies throughout the year. The program focuses on documentary film, art, theatre, music and story. The residencies are either through application or invitation.
ART
Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship
The Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, will once again extend its support to outstanding artists aged 20 to 30 with an established body of work. The scholarship offers two residency pathways: an international residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, and a two-week residency at our home for Artists Shark Island Kangaroo Valley.
The Shark Island Kangaroo Valley residency program, now in its sixth year, will host five artists simultaneously in November 2026. Each artist will receive $10,000 and take part in a two-week immersive residency that includes a program developed in collaboration with the Brett Whiteley Studio.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2026
artgallery.nsw.gov.auBrett Whiteley Shark Island Kangaroo Valley Scholars
- 2025 Casey Chen, Gigi Malherbe, Jacob Davidson, Naoise Halloran-Mackay, Tresor Murace
- 2024 Elle Wickens, Solomon Karmel-Shann, Thomas Carman, Scout Milsome, Lorna Quinn
- 2023 Lauren O’Connor, Angus White, Joseph Christie Evans, Oliver Scherer, Visaya Hoffie
- 2022 Miranda Hine, Flin Sharp, Mark Maurangi Carrol, Sarah Drinan, Drew Connor Holland
- 2021 Georgia Spain, Lily Platts, Emily Grace Imeson, Daniel Kyle, Charlie Ingemar Harding
THEATRE
Story Assembly 13–22 September 2026
Applications Open: October 2026 – Close December 2026
Dates 2027: TBA
Story Assembly is a dynamic and responsive ensemble-based program that develops new contemporary theatre work that aligns with Shark Island’s current creative projects.
In 2027 over the course of two to three residencies (five weeks in total ) nine theatre artists will be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in a rich collaborative environment that will encourage experimentation, embodied exploration and the creation of new contemporary work.
The residency is through application, and the artists will be supported through a grant as well as time, accommodation and nourishment at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley. It is a year-long investment of theatre artists in the first ten years of their practice and the project’s intention is to seed the ground for the future sustainability of these artists through bold truth telling.
Story Assembly 2025 Artists;
Lauren McNaught, Lucinda Howes, Tiernan Rennie, Will Bastow, Shannon Ryan, Tinashe Mangwana, Will Bartolo, Ella Prince, Lucinda Smith.
Story Assembly 2026 Artists;
April: Ben Ashby, Jordan Loveday, Fraser Morrison, Charlotte Otton, Lucy Lock, Eliza Scott, Sookyung Shin, Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather, Jack Twelve-Tree
September: Josh Virgona, Jospeh Tanti, Elyse Phelan, Shayne DeGroot, Tyler Redman, Mây Trần, Laneikka Denne, Audrey Blyde, Estelle Davis
The program is facilitated and directed by Sam Chester.
Griffin Studio — New Australian Work
Griffin Studio is an esteemed artist development program — a year-long creative laboratory for early-career playwrights. Each year, Studio artists develop one or more projects in collaboration with Griffin’s Artistic team, while also undertaking workshops on playwriting and theatre making. The program offers time, space, and resources for artists to create work with the potential to shape the cultural landscape. In 2026, for the first time, Shark Island Kangaroo Valley has supported this initiative by hosting a week-long residency, offering a focused and immersive environment for creative exploration.
MORE INFO: griffintheatre.com.au
2026 Griffin Studio Artists: Erica Brennan, Grace Malouf and Michael Louis Kennedy.
STORY
ACCUMULATE
Shark Island Institute has a celebrated 25‑year history of creating and supporting award‑winning documentaries that aim to educate, entertain, and make a significant social impact through bold truth‑telling. The residency program at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley extends this ethos into a live, collaborative setting, supporting artists to develop new work that is grounded in real stories capable of shifting how audiences think and feel about the world.
ACCUMULATE is our residency program for the development of new contemporary Australian work across a multitude of artforms. During the residency, artists are invited to share their practice with one another to broaden perspectives, enrich collective understanding, and support the rigorous generation of new work.
Who can apply?
This residency is open to individual artists and or a small team of collaborators working in the following disciplines: theatre and contemporary performance, dance and choreography, music composition, poetry and the visual arts. We welcome applications from artists of all ages and diverse backgrounds who are committed to creating contemporary Australian stories with a global resonance.
Selection: Artists are selected based on the strength and clarity of their ideas, their capacity to articulate the project’s development, and its potential impact. Selected works may also be invited for further development and presentation at The Old Store.
Application Closing date February 2027
Residency dates: 13 days/14 nights
Grant: $1,000
Places: Up to seven artists
Accumulate 2026 Artists: Tinasha Mangwana, Betra Fraval, Julieanne Long, Eden Fiske, Sarah Greenwood, George Lazaris
MUSIC
APRA SongHubs Stories
SongHubs is a flagship collaborative songwriting program by APRA AMCOS that brings together emerging and established songwriters, composers, and producers from around the world. It provides opportunities for creators to connect, share ideas, and work together in a professional studio environment to write new, commercially focused songs.
As part of this program, and for the first time in 2026, Shark Island offered time and space for an immersive five-day songwriting residency designed for narrative-led songwriters, focusing on the transformative power of storytelling in music. Curated by Hall of Fame Alumni singer/songwriter Jenny Morris, this residency offers a unique opportunity to delve deep into the art of crafting compelling narratives through song.
The goal of the residency is to help harness the power of story, examine the narrative form of a song and elevate the capacity of the songwriter to be creative through the power of collaboration.
apraamcos.com.au2026 APRA SONGHUBS Stories Artists: Ayesha Madon, Garrett Kato, Elsy Wameyo & Indira Elias.
FILM
Shark Island Foundation Feature Docs Pitch
— Stay Tuned for 2027 UPDATES
In 2026 the Shark Island Foundation Feature Docs Pitch gave producers the opportunity to pitch at AIDC for the chance to receive a development grant of $25,000 and to participate in a four-day creative residency at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley to progress a feature documentary project with Story Consultant and filmmaker Joseph Nizeti. Producers were invited to submit a feature-length documentary project (75 mins+) in development with a plan for theatrical or streaming release. The story could be of any genre but must be character-driven, have a distinctive point of view, with a creative vision and clear artistic style.
Ideally, it should have the potential to shift thinking.
In 2026 the following teams were supported:
The Dig: Sarah Wormald, Matthew Batres
Estranged: Olivia Martin-McGuire, Jack Martin, Rebecca Barry
The Unorthodoctor: Adrian Bate, Jeff Daniels, James Armstrong
Up to Speed: Emma Sullivan, Ros Walker
First Nations Impact Lab
The First Nations Impact Lab is a five-day immersive learning experience for documentary and screen-based changemakers using storytelling as a tool for cultural, environmental, and social change. Now in its third year, the Lab builds capacity by uplifting practitioners who may not self-identify as Impact Producers, yet are driving systems change and strengthening community through storytelling, education, cultural leadership or organising.
Across five days, eight participants will gather at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley on Wodi Wodi country for a rare opportunity to connect with leading practitioners from across the globe to learn strategies for activating community-determined solutions, influencing policy, protecting Country, and prioritising the voices and needs of First Peoples.
garuwa.comImages by Harry Kielly & Adrian Bate
ART
Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship
The Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship, administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, will once again extend its support to outstanding artists aged 20 to 30 with an established body of work. The scholarship offers two residency pathways: an international residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, and a two-week residency at our home for Artists Shark Island Kangaroo Valley.
The Shark Island Kangaroo Valley residency program, now in its sixth year, will host five artists simultaneously in November 2026. Each artist will receive $10,000 and take part in a two-week immersive residency that includes a program developed in collaboration with the Brett Whiteley Studio.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR 2026
artgallery.nsw.gov.auBrett Whiteley Shark Island Kangaroo Valley Scholars
- 2025 Casey Chen, Gigi Malherbe, Jacob Davidson, Naoise Halloran-Mackay, Tresor Murace
- 2024 Elle Wickens, Solomon Karmel-Shann, Thomas Carman, Scout Milsome, Lorna Quinn
- 2023 Lauren O’Connor, Angus White, Joseph Christie Evans, Oliver Scherer, Visaya Hoffie
- 2022 Miranda Hine, Flin Sharp, Mark Maurangi Carrol, Sarah Drinan, Drew Connor Holland
- 2021 Georgia Spain, Lily Platts, Emily Grace Imeson, Daniel Kyle, Charlie Ingemar Harding
THEATRE
Story Assembly 13–22 September 2026
Applications Open: October 2026 – Close December 2026
Dates 2027: TBA
Story Assembly is a dynamic and responsive ensemble-based program that develops new contemporary theatre work that aligns with Shark Island’s current creative projects.
In 2027 over the course of two to three residencies (five weeks in total ) nine theatre artists will be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in a rich collaborative environment that will encourage experimentation, embodied exploration and the creation of new contemporary work.
The residency is through application, and the artists will be supported through a grant as well as time, accommodation and nourishment at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley. It is a year-long investment of theatre artists in the first ten years of their practice and the project’s intention is to seed the ground for the future sustainability of these artists through bold truth telling.
Story Assembly 2025 Artists;
Lauren McNaught, Lucinda Howes, Tiernan Rennie, Will Bastow, Shannon Ryan, Tinashe Mangwana, Will Bartolo, Ella Prince, Lucinda Smith.
Story Assembly 2026 Artists;
April: Ben Ashby, Jordan Loveday, Fraser Morrison, Charlotte Otton, Lucy Lock, Eliza Scott, Sookyung Shin, Rae Colquhoun-Fairweather, Jack Twelve-Tree
September: Josh Virgona, Jospeh Tanti, Elyse Phelan, Shayne DeGroot, Tyler Redman, Mây Trần, Laneikka Denne, Audrey Blyde, Estelle Davis
The program is facilitated and directed by Sam Chester.
Griffin Studio — New Australian Work
Griffin Studio is an esteemed artist development program — a year-long creative laboratory for early-career playwrights. Each year, Studio artists develop one or more projects in collaboration with Griffin’s Artistic team, while also undertaking workshops on playwriting and theatre making. The program offers time, space, and resources for artists to create work with the potential to shape the cultural landscape. In 2026, for the first time, Shark Island Kangaroo Valley has supported this initiative by hosting a week-long residency, offering a focused and immersive environment for creative exploration.
MORE INFO: griffintheatre.com.au
2026 Griffin Studio Artists: Erica Brennan, Grace Malouf and Michael Louis Kennedy.
STORY
ACCUMULATE
Shark Island Institute has a celebrated 25‑year history of creating and supporting award‑winning documentaries that aim to educate, entertain, and make a significant social impact through bold truth‑telling. The residency program at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley extends this ethos into a live, collaborative setting, supporting artists to develop new work that is grounded in real stories capable of shifting how audiences think and feel about the world.
ACCUMULATE is our residency program for the development of new contemporary Australian work across a multitude of artforms. During the residency, artists are invited to share their practice with one another to broaden perspectives, enrich collective understanding, and support the rigorous generation of new work.
Who can apply?
This residency is open to individual artists and or a small team of collaborators working in the following disciplines: theatre and contemporary performance, dance and choreography, music composition, poetry and the visual arts. We welcome applications from artists of all ages and diverse backgrounds who are committed to creating contemporary Australian stories with a global resonance.
Selection: Artists are selected based on the strength and clarity of their ideas, their capacity to articulate the project’s development, and its potential impact. Selected works may also be invited for further development and presentation at The Old Store.
Application Closing date February 2027
Residency dates: 13 days/14 nights
Grant: $1,000
Places: Up to seven artists
Accumulate 2026 Artists: Tinasha Mangwana, Betra Fraval, Julieanne Long, Eden Fiske, Sarah Greenwood, George Lazaris
MUSIC
APRA SongHubs Stories
SongHubs is a flagship collaborative songwriting program by APRA AMCOS that brings together emerging and established songwriters, composers, and producers from around the world. It provides opportunities for creators to connect, share ideas, and work together in a professional studio environment to write new, commercially focused songs.
As part of this program, and for the first time in 2026, Shark Island offered time and space for an immersive five-day songwriting residency designed for narrative-led songwriters, focusing on the transformative power of storytelling in music. Curated by Hall of Fame Alumni singer/songwriter Jenny Morris, this residency offers a unique opportunity to delve deep into the art of crafting compelling narratives through song.
The goal of the residency is to help harness the power of story, examine the narrative form of a song and elevate the capacity of the songwriter to be creative through the power of collaboration.
apraamcos.com.au2026 APRA SONGHUBS Stories Artists: Ayesha Madon, Garrett Kato, Elsy Wameyo & Indira Elias.
FILM
Shark Island Foundation Feature Docs Pitch
— Stay Tuned for 2027 UPDATES
In 2026 the Shark Island Foundation Feature Docs Pitch gave producers the opportunity to pitch at AIDC for the chance to receive a development grant of $25,000 and to participate in a four-day creative residency at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley to progress a feature documentary project with Story Consultant and filmmaker Joseph Nizeti. Producers were invited to submit a feature-length documentary project (75 mins+) in development with a plan for theatrical or streaming release. The story could be of any genre but must be character-driven, have a distinctive point of view, with a creative vision and clear artistic style.
Ideally, it should have the potential to shift thinking.
In 2026 the following teams were supported:
The Dig: Sarah Wormald, Matthew Batres
Estranged: Olivia Martin-McGuire, Jack Martin, Rebecca Barry
The Unorthodoctor: Adrian Bate, Jeff Daniels, James Armstrong
Up to Speed: Emma Sullivan, Ros Walker
First Nations Impact Lab
The First Nations Impact Lab is a five-day immersive learning experience for documentary and screen-based changemakers using storytelling as a tool for cultural, environmental, and social change. Now in its third year, the Lab builds capacity by uplifting practitioners who may not self-identify as Impact Producers, yet are driving systems change and strengthening community through storytelling, education, cultural leadership or organising.
Across five days, eight participants will gather at Shark Island Kangaroo Valley on Wodi Wodi country for a rare opportunity to connect with leading practitioners from across the globe to learn strategies for activating community-determined solutions, influencing policy, protecting Country, and prioritising the voices and needs of First Peoples.
garuwa.comImages by Harry Kielly & Adrian Bate
