The Queensland Arts Showcase Program has been awarded more $1.05 million in funding to support 23 arts and cultural projects across the state, many of which are Indigenous-owned initiatives.

BlakDance, a First Nations-led company, will use the funding to develop Bunyi Bunyi Bumi, a new work that weaves together First Nations and Indonesian cultural stories.

This project will also provide industry placement for a First Nations associate producer, promoting creative skills development.

Australian South Sea Islander artist Jasmine Togo-Brisby is another recipient, with funding enabling her to create Copper Archipelago for the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial at GOMA.

Ms Togo-Brisby highlighted the significance of the Queensland Arts Showcase Program's (QASP) support in showcasing South Sea culture both locally and globally.

"As one of very few Australian South Sea Islander artists to present at the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, the endorsement of QASP funding will allow me to produce work that contributes a South Sea presence within contemporary Asian and Pacific art on Australian soil and on a global platform," she said.

In Townsville, First Nations playwright Shannon Jensen will create Watersong, featuring an all-female First Nations cast, set to premiere at TheatreiNQ in November 2024.

The funding is part of the Queensland Government's Creative Together 2020–2030: A 10-Year Roadmap for Arts, Culture and Creativity, which aims to engage audiences, activate communities, and boost creative employment opportunities.

Quandamooka woman and Queensland Minister for the Arts, Leeanne Enoch, said the 23 projects funded by the latest round of the QASP reflect the diverse arts and cultural sector in Queensland.

"The 23 projects funded through this latest round of the Queensland Arts Showcase Program (QASP) highlight just some of the rich diversity of Queensland's arts and cultural sector," Minister Enoch said.

"The depth of creative talent in Queensland is continuing to grow, evidenced by the consistently highly competitive rounds and the calibre of projects supported from across the state.

Minister Enoch said the Queensland Government's Creative Together strategy is committed to growing new arts and cultural experiences through funds such as the QASP.

"...boosting creative employment and capacity building opportunities as we prepare to showcase the state's cultural identity on the global stage of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games," she said.

Other funded projects include Floating Land: Escape Making, a Sunshine Coast outdoor sculpture program, a new family show by ARC Circus Co. on the Gold Coast, and Watersong, a play by First Nations playwright Shannon Jensen, set to premiere in Townsville.

Applicants can seek single-year funding of up to $70,000 or two-year funding of up to $150,000 for projects, with an additional $10,000 available for commissioning new music by Queensland-based composers, musicians, or librettists.

A full list of round 5 recipients is available via the Arts Queensland website.