A new $1 million grant program will provide vital funding to support ongoing creative and cultural activity in Western Australia's regions.
The Regional Arts Resilience Grants Program, delivered by Regional Arts WA, will offer up to $15,000 to regional artists, cultural practitioners, and arts and cultural organisations.
The grants will support creative development, community engagement and capacity-building projects (such as professional development and business development) that abide with COVID-19 restrictions.
The first round of the Regional Arts Resilience Grants Program opens for applications in July 2020.
This grant program forms part of the Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program (RACIP), which will deliver almost $20 million to regional Western Australia over four years.
The RACIP program is administered by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"While physical distancing requirements and regional border closures were necessary to combat COVID-19 in WA, it also meant many regional arts and cultural activities could no longer take place.
"This grant program will assist in the recovery of the arts sector - re-establishing arts activity in our regions, facilitating shared learnings from the disruption and developing creative solutions for moving forward."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"Art and cultural activities bring people together creating vibrant regional communities, showcasing local talent and providing opportunities for people to tell their stories.
"These grants are vital to support communities to restart art and cultural activities, stimulate local economies and adapt as we move into the recovery phase from COVID-19 in WA."
