Palawa artist Jasmine Christie has been awarded the 2026 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship, securing a $10,000 capital grant to scale her multidisciplinary fine arts practice in Lake Macquarie. The creative initiative, launched by media group Façon Australia and underwritten by customer-owned banking institution Greater Bank, aims to elevate regional First Nations voices by providing direct commercial funding, strategic mentorship, and editorial publication exposure.
Operating from the traditional lands of the Worimi and Awabakal peoples, Jasmine produces works across multiple mediums including acrylic painting, woven raffia, clay, and traditional Palawa material histories. The scholarship capital will be deployed to secure dedicated studio infrastructure, purchase specialised artistic resources, and deepen clinical and historical research into Indigenous matrilineal narratives.
Jasmine’s primary practice explores identity frameworks, maternal health, and ancestral knowledge systems, culminating in her specialised ‘Paint Your Birth Story’ community workshops.
“My work centres on the connection that comes from shared experience,” Jasmine stated in her submission log. “With a yearning for service, I developed ‘Paint Your Birth Story’ workshops that create space for women to yarn, process and express their experience through shared storytelling and art.
“This funding would support a dedicated First Nations artist to continue creating space for women to birth debrief, and continue a practice rooted in respect, ancestral knowledge and care for Country and each other.”
The corporate social responsibility architecture of the program also allocates independent financial resources to the broader talent pipeline. Eight additional finalists will each secure a $1,000 secondary prize pool from Greater Bank, with every recipient paired directly with an established First Nations industry mentor to guide their respective creative disciplines.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Façon Australia, Lara Lupish noted that regional publishing networks hold a structural responsibility to amplify emerging creative practices that maintain clear commercial and cultural clarity.
“Jasmine’s work showcases the strength of an emerging creative voice with a clear vision and a deeply considered approach to storytelling. The way she transforms personal experiences into powerful artistic expression is what makes a lasting impact,” Lara said.
“The scholarship exists to elevate Indigenous voices with something meaningful to say, and Jasmine embodies exactly that. We’re excited to support the next chapter of her artistic journey.”
The commercial launch of the winner announcement on Thursday 9 July 2026 coincided with the retail release of a dedicated print and digital publication, The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship 2026 Edition. The special issue features prominent vocalist and actor Casey Donovan on the cover, profiling the narrative backgrounds of the competing finalists and the design architectures of their structural mentors.
Head of Community and Sustainability at NGM Group, Kirrah McClelland, the parent entity of Greater Bank, stated that corporate sponsorship models achieve maximum social ROI when aligned with genuine regional empowerment markers.
“Jasmine is immensely talented at what she does, and each of her paintings fosters connection, storytelling and empowerment through breathtaking artworks,” Kirrah said.
“We are honoured to support Jasmine in continuing to grow her incredible collection of work and we can’t wait to watch more of her ideas be brought to life through her paintbrush.”
IMAGE | Palawa artist Jasmine Christie secures 2026 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship to advance multidisciplinary creative practice
