A Step-by-Step Guide for Communities and Local Leaders

A clear, practical framework for anyone looking to bring the Wall to Wall Festival or any street art festival to their region.

How to Bring A Street Art Festival To Your Town Or City

People gathered outside in front of a large mural with colorful animal and plant illustrations, engaging in arts and crafts activities.

Understand the Funding Landscape

Local Government Funding

  • Arts & Culture budgets

  • Economic development funds 

  • Tourism activation budgets 

  • CBD revitalisation or placemaking programs

  • Community development fund

Business Sponsorship

  • Local business contributions

  • Medium to Large Regional employers

  • Brands seeking cultural partnerships

  • Hotels and Accommodation

State & Federal Grants

  • Tourism/event attraction funds 

  • Creative industry development grants 

  • Youth engagement funding 

  • Social impact / community wellbeing program

  • Economic Development 

Community Fundraising

  • Donations from locals

  • Crowd Funding

  • Merchandise packs

  • Local fundraising events

Read more about the positive impact street art festivals can have on local economies here

A person wearing a black shirt and orange safety vest painting a large mural of colorful flowers on a brick wall. The artist is on a red scaffold while working on the mural.

  • Define your festival purpose (tourism, culture, revitalisation, youth engagement)

  • Identify 2–3 measurable outcomes (visitor numbers, media reach, business uplift)

  • Decide if the festival is standalone or part of a larger precinct plan

Establish Your Vision

Form a Small Working Group

To secure funding, you’ll need a compelling narrative. Funders want clear community, economic, and cultural benefits.

They are after professional, well-developed applications that show a clear pathway to a successful event.

A working group with clear roles can help you achieve this. People with different skill sets all working towards the same goal can be a formidable agent for change.

People viewing a large artwork of a woman's face at an art gallery.

  • Why your town wants a festival

  • The walls you’ve identified

  • The community benefits (tourism, vibrancy, youth engagement)

  • Projected visitor numbers

  • A high‑level budget

  • Your project timeline

  • Evidence of community support

Your funding case should include:

Sponsorship Pathways

Local Sponsors:

  • Cafes, restaurants, retailers

  • Local tourism operators

  • Real estate agencies

  • Tradies and building companies

Regional + National

  • Paint Company

  • Lift Hire (Kennards, Coates)

  • Local Banks

  • Media (local papers)

Offer sponsors:

  • Logo placement

  • VIP tours + events

  • Social content inclusion

  • Co‑branded signage

  • Media exposure

A group of diverse people are engaging in a high five during a community event or celebration. Some are smiling and appear joyful, with a ladder and a colorful wall in the background.

Writing Strong Grant Applications

Large mural of three horses harnessed together painted on a water tower, with trees and buildings in the background.

Always Include: 

  • A clear vision statement

  • Evidence of community need/benefit

  • High‑quality imagery + references

  • A strong project plan

  • Realistic budget + contingency

  • Evaluation plan (how you’ll measure impact)

  • Letters of support (council, business owners, artists 

What grant assessors look for:

  • Community impact

  • Artistic merit

  • Feasibility & readiness

  • Financial responsibility

  • Alignment with strategic priorities

  • Clearly defined roles

  • Budgets that make sense

A colorful mural painted on a building featuring a girl with long white hair, wearing a blue dress, holding a small animal, with a skull face near her head, surrounded by abstract designs. Several people, including children and teenagers, are walking in front of the mural on a sunny day.

Crowdfunding Ideas

An artist painting a large mural on a wall. The mural features a woman with white hair, wearing a jacket, and surrounded by various abstract figures and objects. The artist is wearing sunglasses and a white t-shirt, holding a cup of paint, and working outdoors under a clear blue sky.

Offer rewards like:

  • stickers

  • limited edition prints

  • mural postcards

  • a signed polaroid with artist/s

  • Wall naming rights

  • private mural tour

  • Tickets to VIP “Artist Dinner” / Event launch

A $50–$100 reward tier ALWAYS performs better than basic donations.

Community Fundraising

Local Trade businesses often donate:

  • lifts / EWPs

  • paint / tools

  • labour

  • scaffolding

  • storage

  • meals or vouchers

Every $1 in-kind = $1 more for the festival budget.

Funding Timeline Template

Ideal planning window: 6–18 months before the festival

  • Month 1–2: Identify walls, approach council

  • Month 2–3: Research grants, begin applications

  • Month 3–6: Secure council support + grants

  • Month 4–7: Meet sponsors + confirm contributions

  • Month 6–12: Lock artists + production planning

Want to Learn More?

Juddy Roller has successfully worked with communities to secure funding for dozens of mural festivals. We can assist with: -Grant writing advice - Pitching documents - Sponsorship proposals - Council engagement, Budgets & project planning

Fill out the form below, and we’ll contact you to book a time to talk to you about your festival

Start the conversation

Frequently asked questions

  • Most regional towns or cities host successful festivals with budgets ranging from $80k–$350k, depending on wall size, number of artists, access equipment requirements, and event programming.

  • Not always - but it helps enormously.
    Many grants require a letter of support or a formal acknowledgement. If the council isn’t ready to commit funds yet, a support letter is usually enough to move forward.

  • Absolutely.
    Some of the strongest examples, Tumby Bay, Brim, and Lameroo started with tiny budgets and a massive community drive.
    Grants, local sponsorship, and community fundraising can bridge the gap surprisingly quickly.

  • Great applications always include:

    • a clear vision

    • photos/mockups of proposed walls

    • a realistic budget

    • community support evidence

    • tourism & economic benefits

    • strong partners (Juddy Roller / Wall to Wall)

    • a feasible timeline

    • letters of support

    Assessors look for impact + feasibility + community alignment.

  • Ideally 6–12 months out.
    Some grant rounds open only once or twice a year, and funding takes time to process.
    However, sponsorship and community fundraising can often be activated in under 4–8 weeks.

  • It happens, but it’s not the end.
    A strong strategy uses multiple funding streams:

    • grants

    • council support

    • sponsorships

    • community fundraising

    If one area falls through, others keep the project alive.
    Many towns run a festival successfully after 1–2 rejected grant rounds - persistence is key.