Special Business Rates Program

Special Business Rates (SBR) are collected from businesses in Newcastle City Centre / Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend, and are reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of these business precincts. Annual funding for the most creative and innovative project proposals is distributed through a competitive application process.

To view the boundaries of each of Newcastle's business precincts where Special Business Rates are collected, click on the Special Business Rate Precinct Maps (PDF). For more information on the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria for SBR funding, please read the SBR Program Funding Guidelines.

2022 City / Darby Street SBR Funding - projects now happening

Between 22 August and 16 September 2022, applications were open for Special Business Rate funding for clever, innovative ideas to promote and develop businesses in the City Centre and Darby Street area. The following 17 projects were successful in receiving funding:

Project Name Organiser Amount Received ($) Project Summary
Voyage: A New Kind of Storytelling Helen Hopcroft 11,480

Voyage is a live music, spoken word and contemporary dance event that will form part of the 2023 Newcastle Writers Festival program. Across two nights, a diverse range of musicians, performance poets and dancers will explore 'a new kind of storytelling' at Newcastle Library and Playstate Curate.

Acts will include The Majishans, singer/songwriter Kay Proudlove, Catapult Dance, visual artists and a number of local performance poets and spoken word artists. By providing evening entertainment and moving hundreds of NWF patrons towards Darby Street and along Hunter Street, Voyage will benefit the night-time economy of these precincts.
Newcastle Food Month Maher Initiatives t/as Newcastle Events 90,000

Newcastle Food Month (NFM) originated in 2021 with the generous support of City of Newcastle. NFM provides an event framework around which Newcastle cafes / restaurants / hotels and food events can encourage Novocastrians and visitors to dine out and attend food related events in April 2023.

NFM provides structure, marketing and promotion. The program is then marketed to the greater Newcastle area and beyond, bringing diners into the City/Darby St precinct. The program 'platform' provides businesses the opportunity to participate in the entry level Plate Date- $25 for a special meal and a beverage, or more significant events, pairing food with music.
Create Your Place UP&UP Inspirations 30,000 UP&UP Inspirations will activate Museum Park for 2 days with a family friendly event that celebrates street art. There will be loads of creative activities, including street art workshops for beginners, master classes, DJs, live music performances, and live painting exhibitions. If you have ever wondered how people create murals with spray paint – come along and chat to a street artist, or even better, have a go yourself. There are activities suitable for everyone, all ages and abilities!
Thriving Gardens > Thriving Community > Thriving Business Herb Urban PTY LTD 48,300 To continue our project of reinvigorating the CBD with veins of living greenery and edible plants that are IoT integrated, data-collecting pieces of sustainable infrastructure, a symbol of innovation and CN's commitment to its future goals. Our project involves the installation of standalone smart gardening systems (fixed to shopfront facades and portable kerbside gardens) throughout the CBD & Darby Street; Hunter Street (Pacific Park to Darby/Hunter Street intersection) and Darby Street. Our overall goal is to connect Newcastle with veins of greenery throughout Hamilton, New Lambton and the City.
West Walk Independent Galleries Newcastle 25,890 An exciting food, art and wine trail through Newcastle’s West! The trail is a progressive catered degustation to occur four times (every three months over a year), with live music and of course an amazing art exhibition at each gallery from Blackstone, Playstate, LEDA and Wester. We hope to activate arts and culture for our community, tourists, and people visiting the harbour. West Walk will create cross-pollination for local industries, such as independent caterers, small batch brewers, winemakers and local musicians. Let’s activate art and culture in the West End!
Sustainability Showcase Precinct Go Circular Inc 76,000 Creating a showcase ‘sustainability precinct’ - reflecting a collaborative effort among operators of restaurants, cafés and other shops - will attract customers and urban eco-tourists, reduce businesses’ operating costs, lower their environmental impacts, attract much needed staff, and demonstrate the City’s leadership in fostering sustainability. Our team – Go Circular and MRA Consulting – will conduct audits of inputs and waste of food and other materials, energy and water; identify opportunities for savings; methodically foster collaborative relationships among operators; and facilitate joint purchasing agreements of electricity, waste services or goods with a low carbon footprint.
EASLE'D Sweet Media 85,977

100 artists are taking to the streets of Newcastle’s CBD and Darby St, bringing broad brushstrokes of brilliance to portable walls, businesses and outdoor spaces throughout the city as part of a month-long live painting festival, EASEL’D.

In partnership with 20+ Newcastle CBD and Darby St businesses, artists will be painting live on easels, over four consecutive weekends - in the open air and inside Newcastle CBD’s diverse mix of cafes, shopfronts, pubs, galleries and outdoor spaces. Get ready for a stellar lineup of artists’ workshops, masterclasses, host talks, guided tours and an artists’ trail.
Story Spots Sketch It Live 23,815

Story Spots are bite-sized animated videos that shine a light on the stories behind 12 unique businesses, events or precincts within the CBD and Darby Street zones. These videos will serve to attract new visitors as well as lapsed locals to these establishments.

Story Spots are a celebration of the local characters who contribute to the lively culture of Newcastle. These videos will be launched at a live event at the Lovett Gallery. We envisage these videos being screened at the Newcastle Tourist Information Centre, the Digital Library, the CN app as well as participants' social media platforms.
WE ARE WH!P - Women in the Hunter in Photography 12,500

WH!P - Women of the Hunter in Photography have developed a concept to share portraiture and stories of local women with our community, utilising storytelling through photographic portraiture and personal narratives that celebrate the creative and career journeys our local women have untaken in their life.

These portraits and narratives will be displayed for International Women's Day (IWD) in 2023 (March 8). We will hold a photographic exhibition and opening/launch for IWD, as well as work alongside local businesses and City of Newcastle to promote, share and celebrate this photographic cultural initiative in varied and innovative ways.
Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn - Newcastle Edition Boomtown Pictures Pty Ltd 50,000 Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn is a travel and food TV show that has now run on Channel 10 for six seasons. The proposal for funding is to create a feature episode for our upcoming season that focuses on Newcastle and the City Centre/Darby Street precinct. The episode would feature Reece Hignell (who owns and operates "Cakeboi" in Newcastle) as Hayden's guide to his favourite Newcastle food and other destinations. The episode would air multiple times on Channel 10 in 2023 and should also be screened internationally through our distribution partners.
Newcastle Gin Event 2023 The Gin Event 19,720

The Gin Event will bring together gin distilleries, food vendors and entertainers with locals and visitors from around NSW for the appreciation of gin at the Newcastle Museum Park. Gin lovers will get a taste of new gin and liqueurs, food and be entertained in a great historical Newcastle location, creating positive promotional exposure. Local distilleries will showcase and sell their products to attendees, promoting their businesses, contributing to the creative and culturally rich community.

The Gin Event will make Newcastle a premier tourist destination, increasing visitation and spending on the weekend, while supporting local hospitality businesses and employment.
Darby Street Magazine Pepper Publishing Pty Ltd T/A Newcastle Weekly 47,605

The Newcastle Weekly (NW) will create three six-page special feature sections in its publication, promoting all things Darby Street. This will be inserted into the December 2022 – March 2023 editions of the NW and uplifted via all NW digital channels. NW boasts a monthly reach over 150,000, across print and digital.

The editions will feature local businesses, people, events and CN SRB projects (past and present) promoting the vibrancy and diversity of Darby Street.
Summer Shakespeare in Civic Park Whale Chorus Incorporated 41,222 Whale Chorus will deliver a second season of outdoor Summer Shakespeare in Civic park and bring an estimated 2000 visitors to the Newcastle CBD for an enriching cultural event. Building on the success and learnings of the January 2023 season, Whale Chorus will grow this event by extending the performance season, reaching a wider audience base, professionally engaging local artists and expanding the event to include preshow festivities and games. Audiences will come alive as they experience the wild and passionate world of Shakespeare, whilst enjoying nature and community connection in our iconic Civic Park.
Chalk the Walk Newcastle 2023 Zest Events International Pty Ltd 81,953 Chalk the Walk Newcastle will build on the success and community interest generated during the last 2 events. A temporary 3D art trail will be created in key outdoor locations, designed to attract people into the city centre. Watch the artists at work as they step out of the studio onto the streets and create a trail of awe-inspiring 3D illusions in a mind-bending live art performance. Visitors can explore the trail at their own pace and pleasure. CTW 2023 would be extended with a Local Artist Showcase and Walking-the-Chalk Art Tour involving local performing artists and photographers.
West Best Bloc Fest Bandaid Bookings and Festivals Pty Ltd 35,000

An annual block festival curated to showcase 70+ emerging and established musicians in the Newcastle scene. This event will be spread across supporting venues around our local West End block.

This event serves multiple purposes and benefits to the community in both activating the area as a live music entertainment district and to remind the local community that the Newcastle music scene is far from dead. This event will increase the vibrancy of the precinct by engaging patrons in an interesting way which will lead to increased visitation in the area.
Newy Car Club SBR Events Newy Car Club 30,000

Newy Car Club will host 3 events leading in to the V8 Supercar weekend in March 2023. These three events will engage the Newy Car Community and engage businesses within the SBR City Centre area.

These events will increase community and business interest around the V8 Supercars. These events will allow businesses to promote and entice the community, along with our members, to visit their establishments to stimulate spending.
Marketing of Events - EASLE'D and West Best Bloc Fest Swell Magazine 22,000 Swell Magazine is a beautiful, locally produced publication, designed to showcase the best that Newcastle and its surroundings has to offer. Swell also holds a highly engaged, growing online community @swell.mag. This project will use all Swell channels – print, social media and digital to offer promotion of local events as a key strategy to drive visitation into Newcastle City and Darby Street. Swell will also work in collaboration with the Makers x Traders of Newcastle and event organisers such as Jacinta Fintan (owner of The Wall Station) to promote local events and engage the community.

2022 Wallsend, Hamilton and New Lambton SBR projects now underway

In May and June 2022, the City of Newcastle's SBR assessment panel met to deliberate on over 20 high-quality applications for the precincts of Wallsend, Hamilton and New Lambton. The following ten applicants were successful in receiving funding, and are already bringing more vibrancy to these precincts:

Project name Organiser Amount received Project Summary
Wallsend Op Shop Trail Purple Card Project Pty Ltd $17,637

The project is working in collaboration with Wallsend Town
Business Association, Samaritans, and the other four Op Shops of Nelson Street to bring life back into weekends in Wallsend by establishing the Wallsend Op Shop Trail.

This will be achieved this with events, activations and a
community engagement strategy to address the lack of
volunteer support in the Op Shops, and shift the focus of volunteering to create a more diverse cohort of volunteers. Increased volunteer support will allow stores to open Saturdays, attracting new clientele to the region. Interactive events each month will further include and engage the community.
And Then, They Were No Longer Invisible A Socially Minded Photography Agency $10,000

This socially-engaged, community storytelling project culminates in large-format images being pasted up in the Wallsend Business Precinct.

'And Then, They are No Longer Invisible - Wallsend' is a
photo-storytelling project that honours the seniors in our
communities. Through the sharing of their stories, we collectively create space for new narratives around aging, isolation and ageism. The project includes community workshops, local business engagement and a community art installation throughout the Wallsend Business Precinct that encourages social cohesion and visitation to the local area.
Banner Art Rebecca Murray $10,000 This project will liaise with local primary schools for the painting of images on 20 x 20 cm boards. 240 images would be chosen to be enlarged and copied onto 80x200cm flags for display on various sites in the Wallsend business precinct.
Wallsend Frights Curious Legends $20,000

A series of Halloween themed activations to engage the public and draw foot traffic to the Wallsend business precinct. This will include two days of roving performances, trick or treating in
resident businesses, and a costume making challenge that
centres on local op shops & craft stores.

The program will then culminate in a larger-scale family event in Wallsend (possibly the the Village carpark), including installations, performances, interactive activities and workshops with community groups and Wallsend businesses. Collateral will be circulated promoting local business in association with the events and activities.
Public Mural Wallsend Playstate Studio $20,000

Involving 2-3 established mural artists within the Newcastle/Port Stephens area, this project will design and create a mural that benefits the appearance of the main street of Wallsend and the businesses that reside there.

Introducing a mural to that main hub will lift the overall beautification and energy to the area.
New Lambton Library Community Mural UP&UP Inspirations $14,850 The project will design and install a mural on the exterior wall of New Lambton Library. The New Lambton Library Community Mural will be true placemaking. It will be a mural that comes from the ideas and inspiration of the New Lambton community – people who live, work, play and/or go to school in the area.
Thriving Gardens> Thriving Community> Thriving Business: New Lambton Herb Urban $36,200

This project aims to reinvigorate New Lambton with veins of
living greenery and edible plants that are IoT integrated, data-collecting pieces of sustainable infrastructure, a symbol of innovation and Newcastle’s commitment to its 2030 goals.

The project involves the installation of standalone smart
gardening systems (fixed to shopfront facades) throughout New Lambton. Our overall goal is to connect Newcastle with veins of greenery throughout Wallsend, Hamilton, New Lambton and
the City.
Beautiful Beaumont Doors Jacinta Fintan $8,000 Six local female artists will beautify and transform six graffitied doorways in between shops along Beaumont Street. The size and budget of this project are scaleable depending on funding available.
Thriving Gardens> Thriving Community> Thriving Business: Hamilton Herb Urban $19,900

This project aims to reinvigorate Hamilton with veins of
living greenery and edible plants that are IoT integrated, data-collecting pieces of sustainable infrastructure, a symbol of innovation and Newcastle’s commitment to its 2030 goals.

The project involves the installation of standalone smart
gardening systems (fixed to shopfront facades) throughout Hamilton. Our overall goal is to connect Newcastle with veins of greenery throughout Wallsend, Hamilton, New Lambton and the City.
Newcastle Fringe Festival - Hamilton Rebecca Fitzgibbons $15,000

Newcastle Fringe will establish a dedicated performance precinct in Hamilton for their 2023 Festival which occurs over 2 weekends in March. It will build on the Festival's existing presence in Beaumont Street by expanding the number of shows, creating a family-friendly component, creating street signage/digital art, and staging micro-performances in local businesses.

The aim is to consolidate relationships with local businesses; activate Beaumont Street; increase patronage and foot traffic. This will provide income for local businesses, employment and promotion for Fringe artists; and generate unique online content for cultural tourism.


Previous rounds

2021-22 City / Darby Street SBR Projects

The City of Newcastle provided a funding pool of almost $800,000 in 2021-22, awarded through a competitive application round to projects with the most effective, creative and innovative ideas to boost local businesses. The following 20 projects have assisted in creating a buzz in our city:

Project name Organiser Amount received Project Summary
Beautification of Wolfe Street Telstra Telephone Exchange Building Herb Urban $15,000

The proposed installation site is in a laneway in Iris Capital's new East End development between Wolfe and Perkins Streets. The proposed laneway is a main entrance point to the piazza, giving this entrance a facelift with a Herb Urban installation will uplift
the entire experience when visiting the piazza.

We will create a beautiful garden which enhances the area,
deters graffiti, encourages visitors and benefits businesses.
Sound Station Music & Arts Festival - Custom App Newcastle Live Music Taskforce $5,000 Sound Station Music & Arts Festival is the first event of its kind designed to showcase and celebrate the past 5 decades of
local live music. It is a free, all-ages event to be held at
The Station on Sunday 28 August with the aim of creating measurable community support for the local live music industry. This additional funding would allow us to have superior app technology that would further provide opportunities for local businesses to be promoted alongside our event.
Darby Street Party Canvas Events PR Marketing Co Pty Ltd $35,000

The Darby Street Party (scheduled for 15 October) will provide an exciting new platform for a street celebration for both industry
and community. This event will engage and promote all business
in Darby Street as well as provide further opportunity for
businesses through extended trading hours. The celebration will provide risk free opportunity for businesses to diversify product offerings. The event build will include a street stage with musical performers and entertainers as well as roving artists and theming.

The event will have significant impact on the business sector and creative industry, and will position Newcastle as a contemporary and creative city on the rise.
Summer Shakespeare in the Park Jane Gibson $22,000

Shakespeare in the Park will present weekend performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Civic Park across the 2022 summer season. It will feature an ensemble of local performers, to stage a wild, irreverent and magical performance.

This performance will offer a meaningful cultural experience for Newcastle audiences and be the first step in creating a new ensemble theatre company in Newcastle. Local businesses will be supported through "Dine & Show" ticketing options.
Thriving Gardens > Thriving Community > Thriving Business Herb Urban Pty Limited $30,000 This project will reinvigorate Darby Street shopfronts with veins of living greenery and edible plants that are data-collecting pieces of sustainable infrastructure, a symbol of innovation, and a reflection of Newcastle’s commitment to its climate action goals. Our project involves installation of standalone smart gardening systems (fixed to shopfront facades and portable kerbside gardens) throughout Darby Street.
Makers & Traders Newcastle Year 3 (MTNY3) Makers and Traders Newcastle $70,000

Makers and Traders Newcastle was formed in 2019 to showcase a growing group of local creative businesses across the Newcastle inner city. Our goal was to support and strengthen collaboration between businesses and encourage lapsed locals to return to the city.

This project builds on our previous success, with the aim of continuing to foster the community’s capacity to deliver unique visitor and retail experiences in Newcastle. The third iteration of the Newcastle Treasure Map (2022), a printed guide to discovering the MTN network, will continue to help position Newcastle as the Smart Creative City of Australia.
Small Walls - Graffiti Prevention Program The Wall Station (Trading as Sweet Media) $50,000 This project will help prevent tagging and graffiti on business properties who face ongoing vandalism, by installing murals by local artists. Small Walls aims to benefit businesses directly by beautifying graffitied walls with mural art, activating spaces and deterring vandalism. Community groups will be engaged to work with the artists, to help build local capacity and share skills.
Small Walls - Graffiti Prevention Program (Extension) The Wall Station (Trading as Sweet Media) $10,000 To expand the current Small Walls program to include 2 - 3 additional murals (dependant on size of the walls) to help precinct beautification and support local business development.
The Big Picture Fest Newcastle 2022 Big Picture Fest $150,000 The Big Picture Fest will return to Newcastle for its second year in 2022! Locals and visitors will watch a number of large scale murals painted live in-person or online in a free community event within the city centre. The project will support local businesses through collaborative promotions and increased local and tourism foot traffic during the event and into the future. It will beautify the city creating vibrant, safe and active public places and business hubs through placemaking.
Special Newcastle City edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine HSR Publishing Pty Ltd $59,894 With the goal of driving visitation from outside the region, this project will create a special edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine to showcase everything the Newcastle City Centre and Darby Street precincts have to offer. With a print run of 30,000 copies to be distributed for free in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne, coverage will include hospitality, retail, events and culture, as well as outdoors & adventure. It will highlight the Newcastle city centre as a must-visit destination.
Create Your Place UP&UP Inspirations $34,485 UP&UP Inspirations will activate the city for two days with a series of street art workshops and live painting exhibitions. The workshops are open to the public and will encourage all members of the community to participate by registering for an activity. The workshops will be suitable for young people, families, older people, people with disabilities – everyone!
Her Productions Local Theatre Premiere Event Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub $20,000 Her Productions is a new Newcastle based production company, run by women with the intention to create equal opportunities for female identifying individuals in the performing and creative arts industry. Her Production's Premiere Event, which will launch the company, will be a contemporary adaptation of Chekhov's classic play, 'Uncle Vanya'. No less than 50% of creatives & crew are female and our cast is evenly gendered, so that we can provide fair and equal work experience and opportunities for women here in Newcastle.
Sci Fi Spectacular Inner City Activation Series Fingers Crossed Creative LTD. $70,000 This will be a six-show multi-faceted micro-festival activation within a local venue including different elements: a full production presentation of the Sci Fi Spectacular show with a ticketed audience; a “Laneway Party” feel activation with entertainment (eg. chill DJ + roving entertainment) + “street food” dining experience with a range of foods offered by local businesses; and a sideshow / interactive zone.
Music People - precinct activation project Field Frequency $64,400 Music People is an innovative and collaborative live music TV show which, through a successful first season, unified physical and digital communities in Newcastle and supported a healthy entertainment industry. This season will produce three episodes, in collaboration with local businesses and other projects that are activating the precinct.
Newcastle West Street Party Vexel Creations $12,000 Based at the Midtown precinct, the Newcastle West Street Party will occur on a Sunday afternoon from 12-9pm that welcomes food and retail vendors and buskers, dance performances and workshops, live pottery & tutorial, live art performance and live music. A creative hub of celebration, in a safe and inclusive manner!
Stomping Ground The Y Pty Ltd $30,000 Stomping Ground will be a series of music & art fusion gigs carried out across a range of venues throughout the Newcastle city centre. There will be diverse performers at events, which will include art displays in venues.
Gateway to Darby Street Precinct Mural Jordan Lucky $9,500 This public art project will create a large scale modern, vibrant and engaging mural highlighting local Australian flora and fauna at the bar beach end of Darby street (39 Tooke Street). This mural will be a highlight of the area and will encourage positivity, foot traffic in the Darby street precinct, and act as a graffiti prevention method. The wall is in prime roadside space facing towards Bar Beach and Parkway Avenue roundabout which for many is an entry point to Darby Street and our city.
Mad Bitches Inc. Helen Hopcroft $19,993 Mad Bitches Inc. is a female-fronted, multidisciplinary cabaret show that premiered at Newcastle Fringe in March 2021. The show enjoyed a sell-out season at the Royal Exchange Salon Theatre, and was nominated for the Festival's Best Show Award, with cast member Sophie Cook winning the award for Best Performance by an Individual Artist. Mad Bitches Inc. then toured to Dubbo Fringe, where it again was nominated for the Best Show award. It is now planned to bring the production to the New Annual Festival in 2022, and to support local businesses through "Dine & Show" ticketing options.
Chalk the Walk Newcastle Zest Events International Pty Ltd $45,000 Chalk the Walk Newcastle will build on the success and community interest in the February 2021 event. A temporary 3D art trail will be created in key outdoor locations, designed to attract people into the city centre. Visitors can watch the artists work, interact with the artworks, and share their photos across social and personal networks.
Newcastle Food Month 2022 Maher Initiatives t/as Newcastle Events $80,000 Newcastle Food Month originated in 2021 with the generous support of City of Newcastle. It provides an event framework around which Newcastle cafes, restaurants, hotels and food events can encourage Novocastrians to dine out and attend food-related events in April 2022. It will provide structure, marketing and promotion. The program is then marketed to the greater Newcastle area and beyond, bringing diners into the City and Darby Street precinct. The program 'platform' provides businesses the opportunity to participate in different food-related promotions and events.

2021 Hamilton SBR Projects

In April 2021, expressions of interest were sought for projects aimed at the promotion, beautification and development of the Hamilton business precinct.

In May 2021 the City of Newcastle’s SBR Assessment Panel (consisting of elected Councillors and a representative from the Hamilton Business Association) assessed 10 project applications. After much deliberation, the Panel approved funding for 4 projects totalling $50,662. All the successful applications were selected for their targeted focus on developing and promoting local businesses and activating Beaumont Street and the neighbouring businesses. The successful projects for 2021 were:

Organisation Name Project Title Funding Amount Project Summary
Curious Legends Curious Creatures $16,662 A mini-festival of afternoon and evening cultural activations in Hamilton's Gregson Park, tentatively planned for November 2021. There will be a program of local artists, musicians, light installations and puppeteers to activate the park as a community meeting place and showcase it as a welcoming, multi-use, family-friendly space. The community are invited to participate in free workshops at Hudson Street Hum prior, and to get involved with performance opportunities. Curious Legends' flagship large scale, illuminated puppetry performances, will be performed for visitors in the evening.
UP&UP Inspirations Hamilton Hive Interactive Mural $14,000

This project will design and paint an interactive mural on the exterior wall of the Community Hive building on Beaumont Street, Hamilton. The mural will make the space more vibrant and welcoming, encouraging people to visit the Hamilton precinct, and increasing foot traffic for businesses.
Paul Maher Walk With Us $10,000

This project will replace a number of existing mosaics with safe, level, slip resistant installations suitable for insertion in a high foot traffic area.These will beautify the Beaumont Street footpath, honour the suburb's social and entrepreneurial history, encourage engagement with local businesses and celebrate our shared cultural heritage and history. The project will work with emerging ceramic artists from TAFE-Hamilton, Hudson Street Hum and local businesses to recreate historical Beaumont Street in colourful art designed for longevity and authenticity, thereby creating an attractive liveable built environment.
Ali Sobel-Read Hamilton Garden Tile Mural $10,000 The acclaimed ceramic artist Ali Sobel-Read will install a brightly-coloured silk-screen printed tile mural outside the Kent Hotel in Cleary Street, to celebrate the iconic Gregson Park. People of all ages and backgrounds will see their cherished landmark reflected in this public artwork gracing the neighbourhood, and this will evoke a sense of pride and belonging.

2020 Newcastle City Centre / Darby Street SBR Funding released

This inaugural The Big Picture Fest was supported through our Special Business Rate. program - we love the amazing creations the artists have left for our City to enjoy.

In the second half of 2020, expressions of interest were sought for projects aimed at the promotion, beautification and development of the City Centre / Darby Street precinct. Categories of focus were industry / business development, place activation / events, beautification / infrastructure development and promotion.

In September 2020 the City of Newcastle’s SBR Selection Panel assessed 31 project applications. After much deliberation, the Panel approved funding for 15 projects for the Newcastle City and Darby Street precinct totaling $934,293. All the successful applications were selected for their targeted focus on developing and promoting local businesses and activating Newcastle’s city centre. The successful projects for 2020 are:

Organisation Name Project Title Funding Amount Project Summary
Newcastle City BIA Live Spots $42,000 A city-wide initiative to establish live music ‘spots’, creating ambiance and passer-by entertainment for business precincts, while helping to create opportunity for income and promotion for local musicians.
Catapult Dance Chorepgraphic Hub Creative Newcastle $122,800 An ambitious project to bolster Newcastle’s arts, business and night-time economy sector, through digital development, data collation, promotion and events. The project will include a multi-arts program of events, a National Arts Industry Conference in late 2021, a digital platform and arts industry directory, and an evaluation and research framework.
University of Newcastle City Lights for Social Change $87,280 This will build a permanent lighting infrastructure for Civic Park, creating a spectacular lightscape to attract people to walk from and through Hunter and King Street, Civic Park to Darby Street. The project aims to help build a safe and vibrant night-time economy, increase tourism, promote public safety and provide global coverage for local activisms and campaigns, with the flagship campaign being 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women from November 25 to December 10 2020.
Adventure for Life Discover Newcastle Mobile Adventures $5,000 Discover Newcastle Mobile Adventure is a digital App-based treasure hunt game designed to bring families, tourists, school and social groups into the city centre and promote foot traffic to different landmarks and highlights of the city's business precinct.
Curious Legends Made In Newcastle $90,000 A city-wide undertaking in collaboration with local businesses, regional tourism, and Newcastle's vibrant arts community to run a series of events over many months in 2020 - 2021. Newcastle Council's mobile app will be utilised for this project, with particular emphasis on the 'walking tours' functionality.
Newcastle Events Newcastle Food Month $65,000 This exciting month-long project aims to promote and cultivate what makes Newcastle and the surrounding precincts a gastronomic playground. The festival will offer a line-up of one-off dining experiences that rejoices Newcastle City and Darby Street’s eclectic dining scene, and will target the attraction of both locals and visitors is set to attract both locals and visitors alike.
HUNTERhunter Newcastle Food Month Marketing Campaign by HUNTERhunter $40,000 The local marketing company HUNTERhunter will work together with the Newcastle Food Month to undertake a 3-month multi-faceted digital and traditional media campaign (February - April 2021) to promote the Newcastle Food Month Festival in its lead-up and during the month-long festival period.
Makers and Traders Makers & Traders Newcastle $148,776 The newly created Makers and Traders "Project 360" digital interface will use virtual tours and podcasts in order to enable visitors and locals to assess Newcastle's creative experience, and to encourage bookings, sales and connection. The opportunity for 'click and buy' for businesses with a supporting checkout in their website will also be integrated. Further, the revised and beautifully designed Treasure Map will make the navigation of creative opportunities and experiences easier for visitors and locals alike.
Heritage Now Archaeology Alive Walking Tour $24,920 The Archaeology Alive walking tour will showcase archaeological excavations which have been undertaken in the Newcastle and Darby Street SBR area, and delivered through the City of Newcastle App. It will present Indigenous and non-Indigenous history in an accessible format, create community engagement and increase foot traffic in the precinct.
UP&UP UP&UP Street Art Workshops - Create Your Space $25,200 This initiative will activate Wheeler Place with a series of interactive street art workshops and live painting exhibitions during the New Annual Festival in February 2021. The workshops will be open to the public, and will encourage all members of the community to participate and visit the city centre during the Arts and Cultural Festival period.
Enigma Christmas in the City $75,322 This project will activate spaces in the City Centre and Darby St, with the aim of attracting people to the areas prior to Christmas and encourage people to spend at local businesses. Civic Park will be activated for ten days with a life-sized maze made from christmas trees. Additionally, two sites in the city (tentatively Hunter Street Mall and Darby Street) will have free Santa photos set up for five days each. Special business offers will also be promoted at the activations.
Newcastle Parkour The Little Green $20,000 The Little Green project will be a celebration of nature, music, giving and community. In the form of a space-making installation in the hunter street mall area, "The Little Green" will consist of planters, a community notice board, plant sharing, bike parking, cafe seating and a small platform to serve as a stage for a musician.
Zest Events International Chalk The Walk, Newcastle $57,695 This project will see a temporary 3D artwork trail installed in key outdoor locations in the City Centre and Darby Street. The artworks would be designed to attract people to the city centre to watch the artists at work, interact with the artwork, have their photos taken and share photos across their social and personal networks. The activation would be held over 5 days in February 2021 and will feature professional chalk artists from Newcastle and the Central Coast.
Screen Hunter "Created in Newcastle" by The Real Film Festival 2020 $41,500 "Created in Newcastle" by the Real Film Festival will deliver new ways of reconnecting film, arts and culture across city precinct businesses that will help strengthen the Newcastle business sector through digital development, online presence and marketing of SBR businesses, through the delivery of business development workshops and the delivery of mentorships to businesses in the city precinct to assist in invigorating their businesses.
Newcastle Style Sessions Open House Newcastle $88,800 Open House Newcastle, to be located at the old Newcastle Station, is an immersive installation, inviting you to walk through the spaces that have been entirely created by, and using local retailer products. It aims to turn the spotlight on Newcastle’s design industry and re-inforces the sense of renewal that is happening in Newcastle with a new dawn of design.

In 2019, 15 events and promotions shared in more than $820,000 in funding. In June 2020, CN convened an Ideas Exchange to share learnings and recommendations from the successful funding recipients. A brief synopsis of each successful project is available at the following (PDF). SBR funding for the suburban precincts of Hamilton / New Lambton / Wallsend were completed in early 2019.

As a result of the Ideas Exchange, updates have been made to the 2020 SBR Guidelines aimed at encouraging project collaboration and sustainability.