Victorian school students will be paired with leading Victorian artists and creative organisations, building their creative skills and boosting their learning, as part of the Creative Learning Partnerships program.
The latest round will provide $350,000 in grants to 15 schools across the state for partnerships projects to take place in the 2027 school year.
The Creative Learning Partnerships program enables schools to partner with artists and creative organisations to make creativity and art part of the students’ learning journey.
From creative installations to dance performances to digital light shows, this program provides students with the opportunity to develop their creativity, critical thinking and innovation skills, with all projects linked to the Victorian curriculum.
More than 70 per cent of recipients in this round are regional or outer metropolitan schools.
Recipients include Warrnambool’s Merri River School which will partner with local creative powerhouse Find Your Voice Collective. The project will see secondary students with disability create and present original works while exploring meaningful post-school pathways in music and the creative arts.
Wales Street Primary School in Thornbury will partner with Wurundjeri women's dance group Djirri Djirri Dancers, while Deer Park North Primary will work with Footscray youth literature organisation 100 Story Building to turn a refurbished heritage tram into a permanent creative space.
Established in 1982, Creative Learning Partnerships is Victoria’s longest-running creative grants program, delivered by Creative Victoria and the Department of Education.
To date, the program has connected more than 1,700 creatives with over 1,300 schools, benefiting more than 77,000 students and upskilling more than 4,000 teachers.
Find more information on Creative Learning Partnerships.
Creative Learning Partnerships 2027 Recipients
Daylesford Dharma School, DAYLESFORD, $10,000
Students will collaborate with artist Kathy Holowko to create a sculptural installation inspired by their observations of and learning about the forest floor.
Senior students will explore a range of artistic media, transforming their observations into large-scale textile, paper and soft sculptures. These works will form a permanent immersive installation
Deepdene Primary School, Deepdene, $10,000
Students will work with First Peoples artist Peter Hood to explore Woi-wurrung language, storytelling and connection to Country.
Through workshops, students will co-design four enduring artworks representing each Sporting House animal. The creative journey will be documented and celebrated through a gallery walk and whole-school unveiling celebration.
Deer Park North Primary School, Deer Park North, $35,000
In partnership with 100 Story Building, students will use storytelling, creative writing, visual arts and co-design to transform the school's refurbished heritage tram into a permanent creative space.
The project will culminate in a community launch where students present the co-design journey.
Lockwood South Primary School, LOCKWOOD SOUTH, $35,000
Working with Arena Theatre Company and artist Laura Jade Hines, students will take part in a project that combines scientific inquiry with story-driven creative play.
Exploring topics ranging from carnivorous plants to circuitry through visual art, drama and design, the project will culminate in a whole-school ‘cabinet of curiosities’ exhibition, bringing their discoveries together.
Lower Plenty Primary School, Lower Plenty, $10,000
Students will collaborate with artist Phillip Howe in a whole-school project exploring community, history and place through artmaking to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
The residency will result in a student-designed mural and an exhibition in the school hall, showcasing the creative process and students’ connection to the school’s identity.
Manangatang P-12 College, Manangatang, $35,000
Collaborating with artists Rhian Hinkley and Alice Fleming, students will co-author Lost in Manangatang, a participatory performance exploring mobile phone dependence, loneliness and the power of face-to-face connection.
Drawing on their own knowledge and stories, students will create the ManangaMap, a hand-drawn interactive map of the town which will be shared with the community.
Merri River School, Warrnambool, $35,000
In collaboration with Find Your Voice Collective, secondary students with disability will explore meaningful post-school pathways through music and the creative arts.
Students will create, record and publicly present original works building confidence, communication, teamwork and employment skills.
Murtoa Secondary College, Murtoa, $35,000
Students will work with artists Dave Jones and Beau Ladlow to learn projection mapping and digital light art.
Through hands-on workshops, students will transform local stories, places and ideas into large-scale projections that will be presented publicly in the local community.
Peninsula Specialist College, DROMANA, $10,000
In partnership with TD Illustrations, students will create illustrations exploring identity, diversity and belonging.
Their work will bring the school’s new motto and values to life, culminating in an exhibition and a permanent display that celebrates inclusion and respect.
Powlett River Primary School, dalyston, $35,000
Students will collaborate with Boonwurrung Traditional Owner and artist Steve Ulula Parker and artist Sheree Ford to create an Indigenous plant book for the community.
Through hands-on printmaking workshops, students will explore native flora and learn about its cultural significance, culminating in a published community guidebook and an exhibition of the students’ original prints.
Roxburgh College, ROXBURGH PARK, $10,000
Working with creative partner Philip Kalinowski, students will develop imagery and themes for the creation of a large scale, vibrant visual artwork that authentically represents the school’s diverse community.
St Brigid's Primary School, Gisborne, $10,000
Guided by artist Joanne Mott, students will explore how contemporary sculpture can support biodiversity and connect people with place.
Combining field investigations with collaborative artmaking, they will create sculptural habitats from sustainable materials for installation in the Gisborne Botanic Gardens and on school grounds.
Wales Street Primary School, Thornbury, $35,000
Through a series of Wurundjeri Woiwurrung cultural workshops led by Djirri Djirri Dancers, students will deepen their understanding of Wurundjeri culture, language and ceremony with a focus on dance.
Students will consider how this knowledge can shape their outlook and strengthen their understanding of and relationship with Country.
Western Heights College, Hamlyn Heights, $10,000
Guided by artist BJ O'Toole and Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, student leaders will learn about Wadawurrung Country beforetransforming their learning into a mural that expresses knowledge of Country, stories and connection to place.
The artwork will be shared with the school community and embedded in the curriculum as an ongoing learning resource.
Worawa Aboriginal College, Healesville, $35,000
In collaboration with Speak Percussion, students will create and perform new, innovative musical compositions incorporating Speak Percussion’s newly acquired handbells.
The project will culminate in performances at Worawa College and Burrinja Cultural Centre.