'What Lies Beneath' is a community project as part of the inaugural festival, constructing the large sea hammock on the foreshore to reflect the experience of being under the sea on dry land.

The piece will be made from recycled and non-recycled plastic found on the beach and will be suspended three metres from the ground on the Portland foreshore near the festival site.

This project reflects the themes of the Upwelling Festival, which celebrates and the 'Bonny Upwelling' marine phenomena on the coast near Portland.

Ms Bailey said the Regional Arts Fund initiative had made a major contribution and the Regional Arts Victoria had been instrumental in securing the funding.

"The project will probably be starting in mid-July for the festival starting on October 29," she said.

"We're hoping it will grow organically and change with the feedback of the community group.

"It's going to be maybe three metres wide by 15 metres long and we're going to weave upwelling creatures into the hammock.

"When I was a kid me and my brother used to hang out at the football with our parents, and we'd collect six-pack rings to make hammocks a few metres long to put in the back yard.

"I'll be working with a community group of young people to construct the hammock, weaving donated rope from local fishermen."

As well as the community group, Ms Bailey will work with local retired engineer Bob Stone to put the piece together.

Applications for the second round of regional arts funding this year close 15 August for projects commencing after 1 January 2012.

For more information, including guidelines and applications form, go to www.rav.net.au.

j.pech@stand ard.fairfax.com.au