Media Release: More than $668,000 supports arts projects in regional Australia

The Morrison Government has today announced 46 recipients across Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia that will receive a share in more than $668,000 to support artistic and professional development activities through the Regional Arts Fund.

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, congratulated the successful recipients of the Community Grants program.

“I am pleased to see the recipients reflect Australia’s rich and diverse arts sector, with projects to be delivered by a wide range of community groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, youth, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, older Australians and people with disability,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The funding will help these organisations and individuals develop new works and performances, and create opportunities to engage local communities.”

Successful projects span the visual arts, dance, music and digital media. They include:

• $30,000 for Crossroad Arts Inc (Mackay, Queensland) – to deliver C.R.U.S.H, a three day workshop in contemporary movement, performance and theatre-making for people with and without disability
• $11,676 for the Art Museum of Kangaroo Island Establishment Association (Penneshaw, South Australia) – to allow Culture for Recovery to bring Ngarrindjeri/Ramindjeri/Narungga artist Cedric Varcoe to Kangaroo Island to connect and create with the bushfire-affected community
• $10,000 for Cheryl Anne Rose (Montello, Tasmania) – to undertake a community capacity building project to build the skills of Tasmanian Aboriginal peoples living in the northwest of Tasmania to tell their stories through the visual arts
• $15,000 for Arena Theatre Company (Bendigo, Victoria) – to provide a mentoring program for women aged 14 to 62 from the local South Sudanese community to assist them to develop an original theatre production that shares their culture and experiences as recently arrived refugees
• $28,934 for the Albany Choral Society (Albany, Western Australia) – to stage a performance of La traviata which will bring together international, national, and local artists and community participation to perform the opera as part of the Albany Entertainment Centre’s 10th anniversary season.

Each year the Government provides around $3.5 million through the Regional Arts Fund, which is delivered by Regional Arts Australia through organisations in each state and territory.

In April 2020 the Government announced an additional $10 million for the Regional Arts Fund to support regional and remote communities affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Information on how to apply will be released in July 2020 through the state and territory regional arts organisations.

For more information about the Regional Arts Fund and to view the full list of community grant recipients visit: www.arts.gov.au/raf

Background:

• The Regional Arts Fund provides funding for quick response grants and community grants for arts projects, professional development for artists and arts workers as well as community capacity building projects.
• In 2019-20 the Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia regional arts organisations delivered two Community Grants funding rounds. The New South Wales and Northern Territory organisations each ran one round.
• The Regional Arts Fund network will work with organisations receiving funding on the timing and delivery of these activities in line with any current COVID-19 requirements.