The Creative Learning Partnerships program will see 16 Victorian schools partner with local artists and organisations in terms 2-4.
Children will be able to tap into their creative side and learn new skills, without their parents having to find extra time and money for similar activities outside school.
The 2026 recipients will share in $360,000 through the Creative Learning Partnerships program.
They include Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, which will work with creative and social change organisation Storyscape and First Nations audio app Yalinguth. Students will take part in visual arts and storytelling workshops and create a short film showcasing their work.
Victorian College for the Deaf will partner with the Potter Museum of Art on a multilingual project.
At Seymour College, students will use second-hand materials to create costumes for a runway performance and exhibition.
Students across all year levels at Inglewood Primary School will work with drama, storytelling and filmmaking company The Storey Players to create a multimedia production about the untold story of Inglewood.
Creative Learning Partnerships is a collaboration between Creative Victoria and the Department of Education.
It is the Victorian Government’s longest running creative grants program.
Established in 1982, it’s supported residencies for more than 1,650 creative practitioners, upskilled close to 4,000 teachers and brought creativity and learning together for more than 76,000 Victorian students.
Find more information on Creative Learning Partnerships.
Creative Learning Partnerships 2026 Recipients
Athol Road Pimary School, SPRINGVALE SOUTH, $10,000
Guided by ceramic artist Lauren Herbison, students will work on a project exploring specialist ceramic processes, techniques and sustainable practices.
Through creative tasks, students will gain hands-on experience with clay, building specialised ceramic skills to deliver a collaborative whole-school work that celebrates the school’s creativity and community.
Bemin Secondary College, Truganina, $10,000
Writer and illustrator, Maxine Beneba Clarke will guide students through a creative writing and visual arts project that will see students experimenting with language to explore themes of community, identity and belonging.
Students’ creative contributions will be assembled into a collective written work to be published and displayed on a large scale public artwork.
Campbells Creek Primary School, CAMPBELLS CREEK, $10,000
Students will collaborate with artist Jens Altheimer on a multidisciplinary project, using interactive theatre, media arts, design/technologies, projection mapping, lighting, physical computing and short-form film making to turn their school hall into a retro control centre.
Exploring truth, memory and identity in a world of manipulated images, the project will be shared in an installation performance.
Carlton Primary School, CARLTON, $35,000
Students will collaborate with artists from Lemony S Puppet Theatre to design and create spectacular puppets for a new work exploring the theme of 'Kid Power'.
The visual arts project will culminate in the students performing the new work as part of the Melbourne Festival of Puppetry.
Collingwood English Language School, COLLINGWOOD, $35,000
Working with the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, students will be involved in a collaborative visual arts initiative that includes a series of artist-led residencies and workshops, particularly aimed at engaging secondary students newly arrived to Australia.
Exploring themes of newness and connection, the project will conclude with a public exhibition that highlights the students creative achievements and shared experiences.
Creswick Primary School, CRESWICK, $10,000
Musicians Stella Savy and Mishael Gyabeng will collaborate with students on a project celebrating Ghanaian culture through music, dance, and storytelling.
Students from all year levels will learn songs in Ghanaian languages, exploring folklore and cultural storytelling, and participate in a concert featuring singing, drumming, dancing, and class performances of Ghanaian tales.
Footscray North Primary School, FOOTSCRAY, $10,000
Led by circus and physical theatre artist Katy Burrows, students will learn acro-balance skills to explore teamwork and trust through performances that create human sculptures.
Linking performing and visual arts, the project will lead to a showcase at the school’s art show.
Inglewood Primary School, INGLEWOOD, $35,000
Together with The Storey Players, students will create a multimedia theatre and film production that explores and celebrates the untold story of Inglewood.
Involving all year levels across the school, the project will be shared with Inglewood in a community performance.
Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, RICHMOND, $35,000
In collaboration with Storyscape and First Nations audio app Yalinguth, students will experience an immersive soundscape tour and undertake creative workshops in visual arts, mapping and symbolism, and oral storytelling.
Following this, the students will share their stories through a short film exhibition.
Macarthur Primary School, MACARTHUR, $10,000
Students will collaborate with Keerray Woorroong artist Sherry Johnstone on a visual arts project to explore the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape.
Visiting local cultural sites, students will research local species and learn Gunditjmara language names, creating artworks and installations, celebrating culture, language and connection to Country.
Newcomb Park Primary, NEWCOMB, $35,000
Working with the Bluebird Foundation, students will create an original theatre piece.
Using text, music and physical theatre, they will re-imagine the character relationships found in selected Shakespearean comedies, exploring contemporary understandings of gender and equality.
Seymour College, SEYMOUR, $10,000
In the Courage Catwalks project, students will collaborate with artist Anna Thomson on an anti-fast fashion program combining textile design and performance.
Using second-hand materials, students will create costumes focused on storytelling and environmental education, and showcase their creations in a runway performance and an exhibition..
St. Mary's Primary School, RUSHWORTH, $35,000
Students will collaborate with artists from Under The Creative Hood on an project that blends performance, visual arts, mask making, storytelling and contemporary music.
The creative workshops will lead to a collaborative performance showcasing original music, movement, and puppetry that express the voices, emotions, and rural identity of the students.
Victorian College for the Deaf, MELBOURNE, $35,000
Collaborating with the Potter Museum of Art, Deaf and Hard of Hearing students will deliver a visual storytelling project in art and Auslan.
Designed to build creative confidence, develop employment skills, and foster inclusive creative practice, students will engage in Auslan-interpreted tours, hands-on applied art workshops and professional learning sessions, and will co-curate a bilingual exhibition.