South Coast festival first to benefit from 'Coast is Calling' campaign

The Canberra Times cartoonist released ten images celebrating NSW South Coast communities affected by a summer of devastating bushfires.

Shoalhaven's StoryFest, based in the Milton area, has received a $15,000 grant from the sale of the prints.

The festival started in 2019 with an aim to boost tourism outside peak season.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic the festival is planning to return in June next year for a weekend of workshops and events that tell stories across a variety of mediums.

The weekend festival also runs a school program and a competition for local writers.

The $15,000 grant will be used to pay local accommodation fees for visiting artists and to offset the cost of bringing artists in to support the schools programs.

All profit from the prints will go to bushfire recovery via the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal Public Fund (FRRR).

The images were commissioned by The Canberra Times' publisher, Australian Community Media, to help promote tourism back to the South Coast.

FRRR chief executive Natalie Egleton said funding had to continue to flow to regional communities, even if many projects had been adapted or postponed due to COVID-19.

"Some of the projects may need to be changed to adapt to COVID-19, but we wanted to get funding out to communities so that they can adapt and adjust as needed," she said.

"This is particularly relevant for bushfire-affected communities who have experienced the double whammy with COVID-19."

The boost to StoryFest is one of almost 90 grants worth a total of $900,000 distributed to communities in need. The grants will be used to reduce social isolation and rebuild local economies with workshops and festivals.

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Several grants also went toward supporting community resilience and disaster-preparedness through resourcing and education, and improving community infrastructure.

The Coast is Calling collection includes homages to Narooma, Nelligen, the Clyde, Cobargo, Lake Conjola, Batlow, Batemans Bay, Murramarang, Mogo and Rosedale.

They are available now in prints, posters and greeting cards via Red Bubble.