Critical Creative X Change
A new residency opportunity of ideas, art, and action
24 - 28 November 2025
Applications close Friday 24 October
Hunter Writers’ Centre is delighted to announce a new, week-long residency program, Critical Creative X Change, to be held in Muloobinba Newcastle from 24 – 28 November 2025 at Lighthouse Arts on the Whibayganba Nobbys Headland.
About the Program
Critical Creative X Change invites creatives, changemakers and critical thinkers of all stripes, emerging and established, from the Hunter region and beyond to submit proposals that engage with the year’s broad theme—ECO. We welcome proposals from across different art forms, areas of research and spheres of political action.
From the submission pool, eight applicants are invited to attend Lighthouse Arts on Whibayganba-Nobbys Headland, from Monday to Friday, 10 am – 4 pm, 24 – 28 November. Throughout the week, residents work on their proposed projects and take part in shared opportunities for collaboration and exchange.
In 2025, the Critical Creative X Change is scheduled to coincide with Rising Tide’s People’s Blockade of the World’s Largest Coal Port, which takes place 27 November – 2 December in the nearby Foreshore Park. Applicants are encouraged to consider attending the Blockade, and residents may be invited to take part in programming for the weekend’s ‘Protestival’ (29 – 30 November).
Critical Creative X Change program has been designed in collaboration with Associate Professor Trisha Pender.
Key Information
Dates: 24 – 28 November 2025
Location: Lighthouse Arts, Whibayganba-Nobby Headland, Muloobinba, Newcastle
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm.
Please note, the residency does not provide travel or accommodation. A list of local accommodation options will be provided to those travelling from out of town.
Support Available
Two $700 stipends award are available to support local participation.
- One for a young person, aged 35 years or younger, living in the Hunter region.
- One for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicant living in the Hunter region.
How to Apply
The application process is short and simple, with a quick turnaround. Eight applicants will be invited to take part.
Application Open: Wednesday 8 October
Application Close: Friday 24 October
Notification of outcome: Tuesday 28 October
We ask for the following information in your application:
- A short bio (up to 150 words)
- A brief description of you proposed project and how it relates to the theme of ECO.
Applicants are assessed on:
- Creative or critical merit of the proposal
- Relevance to the theme
- potential for dialogue and exchange