Five emerging creatives have been awarded $3,000 through Helpmann Academy’s latest round of Development Grants 2026!
Development Grants support emerging creatives to kickstart new projects, research and develop new works, undertake creative or business mentorships, build new skills, and participate in professional development opportunities that strengthen their creative practice.
The first round for 2026 will support an experimental music mentorship and EP development in Brisbane, production of a bold new short film, a dance development and presentation at Sydney Fringe Festival, governance training to ensure artist voices are represented on boards, and a mentorship and exhibition undertaken in Japan.
Huge congratulations to all the recipients!
Artemis Bishop (ENHE) She/Her | @enhehne
Partner institution: Adelaide University
Artemis will use the funds to develop her first EP under the mentorship of the Brisbane-Based experimental music producer Alice4Ever.
“This mentorship and subsequent EP will greatly impact my career, enabling me to expand my practice beyond the screen in a way that would otherwise not be possible. I am extremely thankful to Helpmann Academy for their support, and beyond excited to develop my skills throughout this project.”
Artemis Bishop (ENHE), Development Grants 2026 recipient.
ENHE (b. 2004), Adelaide) is a Kaurna-based, multidisciplinary, disabled, transgender, lesbian artist whose work spans DJ’ing, producing, screen composition, dance, installation art, interaction design and sculpture, exploring the complex relationships between the self, the body, and the other. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Creative Practice – Composition Stream) from The Elder Conservatorium of Music (Adelaide University, Adelaide 2025) and has composed for the award winning short films Remember The Fairies (dir. Sid Christie, 2025) and Buried (dir. William Plant, 2025) and was a composing mentee on the Teddy Award Winning Lesbian Space Princess (dir. Leela Varghese and Emma Hough-Hobbs, 2025).
Dom Campaniello He/Him | @thelatedomcampaniello
Partner institution: Flinders University
Support Journey:
Best Picture award at the Helpmann Academy Graduate Filmmaker Showcase 2025
Dom will use the funds to produce a ten minute psychological thriller film, taking place in the Adelaide Hills.
“This project will be the largest step I have taken in my filmmaking career so far – and with film, experience is the greatest teacher. It will help me to reach a wider audience, and to understand more about myself as an artist. With Helpmann’s backing, they have provided not only monetary stability, but have given the production an added level of repute.”
Dom Campaniello, Development Grants 2026 recipient.
Dominic Campaniello is a South Australian writer and film director whose work focuses often on concepts surrounding morality, empathy, and experimental cinema.
Ella Molloy She/Her | @ellammolloy
Partner institution: Flinders University
Support Journey:
2025 Boost Grant
Ella will further develop and take her contemporary dance work to Sydney Fringe Festival.
“Without the support of Helpmann Academy, I would be completely unable to tour my contemporary dance work to Sydney Fringe. This support is fundamental to my growth as an artist, providing me with a broader reach and the ability to take a previous work and continue to expand it. I am endlessly grateful for this opportunity to continue to grow my practice and Helpmann Academy’s belief in me as an artist.”
Ella Molloy, Development Grants 2026 recipient.
Ella is a highly skilled and dynamic mover with an extensive technical background. Originally from Sydney, Ella holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Dance) from Adelaide College of the Art. In 2025, she made her professional debut performing in interactive contemporary dance work, ‘OVERTURE’, and participated as a professional dancer and rehearsal assistant in the Adelaide Festival’s ‘MASS MOVEMENT’ with Stephanie Lake Dance Company.
Ella was a recipient of an ADT LOFT ‘Experiment’ residency, where she developed her choreographic voice into ‘A MOMENT OF (redacted)’ her independent choreographic debut in Adelaide Fringe Festival 2026 in the quadruple bill, ‘NEW ROMANTICS’. Her presentation and performance of this work marks a step forward in her career. This work resonated deeply with audiences, with Ella receiving an invitation to perform ‘A MOMENT OF (redacted)’ at the upcoming Sydney Fringe Festival in September 2026.
Luke Furlan He/Him | @lukefurlan
Partner institution: Flinders University
Support Journey:
2024 HA>NESS Grant (RotPunkt)
2024 Creative Innovator Program (RotPunkt)
2025 Development Grant
Luke will undertake the Australian Institute of Company Directors Foundations of Directorship program, strengthening his governance capability for future arts leadership and board participation.
“Artists are often the focus of arts organisations, but not always represented in the rooms where key decisions are made. By supporting this opportunity, Helpmann has given me the chance to bridge that gap by combining lived creative experience with formal governance training.”
Luke Furlan, Development Grants 2026 recipient.
Luke is an Italian-Australian multidisciplinary artist, theatre maker and emerging arts leader based in South Australia. A graduate of Flinders University, his practice sans storytelling, youth engagement and audience accessibility. In 2024, Luke co-founded independent theatre initiative Rotpunkt through the Helpmann Academy Creative Innovator Program. Luke is passionate about strengthening artist representation in governance and building sustainable pathways for future arts leadership.
Thea Martin They/She | @thea.lucia
Partner institution: Adelaide University
Support Journey:
2023 Development Grant (Any Young Mechanic)
2023 Creative Investment Fellowship (Any Young Mechanic)
2024 Creative Boost Grant
2024 Creative Innovator Program (Any Young Mechanic)
2024 Creative Innovator Major Seed Funding Recipient (Any Young Mechanic)
Thea will use the funds to exhibit internationally and collaborate with artists and curators in Tokyo, while receiving mentorship in curating and arts venue management and direction.
“The opportunity to exhibit internationally and to collaborate with artists and curators in Tokyo, particularly at a transitional point in my experimental music and participatory art practice, is incredibly exciting and significant for my development as an artist.”
Thea Martin, Development Grants 2026 recipient.
Thea is a musician, teaching artist and writer practicing on Kaurna Land. Their artistic practice is rooted in a commitment to the activation of individual and community agency, to uncover and construct sonic meaning through the processes of multiple creativities. As a Co-Director of Connecting the Dots in Music, their work in community arts has been commissioned by Carnegie Hall (NYC), the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and a range of schools, libraries, galleries and community centres. Thea performs as a musician in Any Young Mechanic and short snarl, works as an artist in residence in schools and facilitates reading groups and participatory art workshops. Thea also works to develop alternative spaces, records and publications for emerging South Australian musicians and artists through their record label caps lock records.
Development Grants are made possible through the generosity of John Phillips and the Government of South Australia through CreateSA.
Header image credits: (1) A MOMENT OF, Adelaide Fringe. Photo: Peter Tsimop. (2) Dom Campaniello. Photo: Pierah Summers. (3) ENHE Modelling for ‘fortunes fool’ by Midheaven. Photo: Lucinda Corin. (4) Luke Furlan, Creative Innovator Program 2024. Photo: Helpmann Academy. (5) Post Scores collaborative score wall. Photo: Lucinda Corin.
Recipient image credits: (1) ENHE HEADSHOT. Photo: Khayam Ross. (2) Dom Campaniello. Photo: Pierah Summers. (3) A MOMENT OF, Adelaide Fringe. Photo: Peter Tsimop. (4) Luke Furlan, Creative Innovator Program 2024. Photo: Helpmann Academy. (5) Thea Martin. Photo: Lucinda Corin.