Victoria's vibrant creative industry is being reignited with the Sustaining Creative Workers initiative - supporting artists and creatives to provide new and unique creative experiences across the state.
The Andrews Labor Government has delivered $4.8 million in grants for the initiative, with beneficiaries across 775 workers, collectives and micro-businesses who power the state's creative industries.
Groups, micro-organisations and individuals have been supported by the initiative, including performers, writers, musicians, filmmakers, small theatres and festivals - powering the return of artistic experiences for Victorians.
Individual grants have enabled artists and creatives to develop, deliver and adapt their work by supporting research and development, equipment upgrades, digital initiatives and professional and business capacity building.
Artist funding for the scheme has included Wamba Wamba storyteller and actor Brodie Murray, filmmaker Santilla Chingaipe, musician Sam Teskey, Gunditjmara photographer Hayley Millar Baker and visual artist Charlie Sofo.
Funding for smaller groups and organisations has provided continued delivery of innovative programs, including the Birrarangga Film Festival, Lighthouse Arts Collective, Youthworx's social enterprise film production initiative and the Way Over There collective of artists.
Showcasing the breadth of diversity across Victoria's talent - a third of supported projects are based in regional Victoria, one in five involve creatives with a disability, 40 per cent involve culturally and linguistically diverse creatives and 12 per cent are First Peoples led.
Since 2020, the Sustaining Creative Workers initiative has provided $9.5 million to fund more than 1,500 grants - involving approximately 17,000 Victorian creative workers affected by the pandemic.
This round was delivered in collaboration with industry bodies including Regional Arts Victoria, Arts Access Victoria, Multicultural Arts Victoria, Ausdance Vic, Music Victoria, NETS Victoria, Theatre Network Australia and Writers Victoria.
For a full list of grant recipients, visit the Creative Victoria website at creative.vic.gov.au.
As stated by Minister for Creative Industries Danny Pearson
"Victoria is the cultural capital of Australia with a dedicated and talented workforce of creative people whose ideas, skills and craft are at the heart of our creative economy and cultural life."
"We're backing artists with the money they need so they can do what they do best- create great art and experiences that Victorians celebrate and enjoy."
