Council increases arts grants funding for second year in a row
Kingston increases Arts Grants funding for the second year in a row
An additional $25,000 in funding was approved by Council for this year's round of Arts Grants, to continue stimulating Kingston's creative economy and assist local artists and creatives. This year's additional funds bring the 2021-2022 Arts Grants total up to $48,000, which has been awarded to ten local recipients.
Kingston Mayor Steve Staikos said that in light of COVID-19 restrictions continuing to impact upon the arts industry, Council has decided to increase the grant funding allocation for a second year in a row.
"Last year we provided a $15,000 increase in funding and we are happy to bolster this even further this year. We hope this support goes some way towards helping local artists and creatives to recover from the impact of the pandemic after 20 months of changing restrictions," said Cr Staikos.
"Community members are craving music, art and theatre – and we have amazing local talent who we want to support to get back to working in the arts and doing what they love."
Recipients of this year's Arts Grants funding includes a community-based arts project led by Anna Wheeler, of a public art mural. The project will receive $5,000 in funding towards creating a significant piece of art featuring local birds, dogs and scenery. As part of the project artist Alex Sugar will work with a group of community volunteers to conceptualise a large-scale piece for Cheltenham, at a site to be determined.
Grants of up to $5,000 were also awarded to nine recipients who will create public art projects, including:
- Angharad Neal-Williams – to host a series of drawing workshops and tutorials at the Kingston Arts Centre, teaching participants how to draw still life.
- Kate Ashforth – to create an exhibition of work for the Shirley Burke Theatre exploring the natural landscapes, plant life and historical spaces in Kingston and will include a one-hour community workshop.
- Mikaela Stafford – who will create a large-scale piece of digital art that will be printed on billboard skins and displayed along the tall brick façade of the Cheltenham Substation.
- Sarah Matthews – to put on a performing arts festival at Namatjira Park that provides an opportunity for early-career performance artists to gain experience.
- Kieran Carroll – to create a stage adaptation of Rick Springfield's best-selling 2010 memoir 'Simon and Schuster' to be performed at the Shirley Burke Theatre in 2022.
- Peter Vadiveloo – who will perform a series of seven weekly concerts, at the Arcobar in Heatherton.
- Alexander Luciano – who will work with local residents to create a series of quilts which documents the story of their lives. The project will feature supporting videos that share the histories, memories and experiences of local residents who moved to, and built their lives, in Kingston.
- Nic Clarke – to put on two performances of innovative Australian circus work for young people at the Shirley Burke Theatre, during the September 2022 school holidays.
- Aurelien Gilfeather – who will create a series of surreal animations, exploring the dual experience of living life digitally and physically, to be exhibited at The Bridge projection space at the Kingston City Hall.
