Baw Baw Shire is calling all local artists and creatives to apply for up to $2,000 in funding through Council's Arts and Culture Fund program.
The Arts and Culture Fund is an initiative by Council to support local creatives in their work, focusing on growing their creative practices and contributing to the arts in our community.
Eligible applicants can apply for a monetary grant of up to $2,000 to support their work.
The fund is designed to support projects that:
Help grow creative projects in the community,
Add value to the local creative community and/or to their own work,
Help to develop the local arts community,
Provide the wider community with the chance to experience and/or participate in the arts, and
Create opportunities for creatives to work together with other artists, residents and local community groups on projects.
In 2024, Baw Baw Shire Council's Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) applied for Council budget for an arts and culture grant program as a one-year trial.
This initiative was successfully extended for a second year for 2025/2026 following positive feedback from the community.
Applications are now open and will close at 5pm on Sunday 8 February 2026.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Councillor Kate Wilson is encouraging all local artists to apply for the funding.
"This is the second year we have offered this funding for our arts community," Cr Kate Wilson.
"Back in our first funding year, we had 15 applications and successfully funded 11 projects.
"This is fantastic for our community.
"We are keen to see all of Baw Baw's local artists and creatives apply for the funds again this time to help bring their creative projects to life."
To be eligible for funding, applicants must either be residents of Baw Baw Shire, creative practitioners with a creative practice primarily located in Baw Baw Shire, or an organisation or community group partnering with a Baw Baw Shire creative to deliver a project that will boost that creative's work and benefit the Baw Baw Shire community.
Submissions can be made online via the Smartygrants application form, which can be found on the Arts & Culture Fund page of Council's website.
All successful projects from this upcoming round of submissions must be completed by 25 September 2026.
