Local artists are set to benefit from funding support through the ACT Government's Cultural Arts Program and the Arts Activities $5k-$50k fund.
The new Cultural Arts Program supports and enhances Canberra's unique culture and identity by funding local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. A total of $127,565 has been made available for the first time this year to fund 11 projects.
Among the recipients is Ngunnawal Cultural Arts' Bradley Bell who will receive $15,000 to work with Ngunnawal Elders and community members on Country through a cultural arts program that incorporates language, dance and art over four cultural practice sessions.
Many of these grants see artists sharing culture and building arts practice. Excitingly, an emerging or established First Nations artist will be mentored in glass casting at the Canberra Glassworks by senior First Nations artist Jenni Kemarre Martiniello through one of the grants.
Arts Activities $5k to 50k funding is open twice a year to Canberra-based artists and arts groups for one-off projects across dance, literature, music, screen and digital games, theatre, and visual arts.
A total of $394,219 has been provided to local Canberra artists through the current round supporting 17 projects. Recipients include visual artists, authors, musicians, dance and theatre performers, arts workers, and other creative practitioners.
New guidelines introduced this year expanded the eligibility requirements to include screen and digital game projects. Among the successful recipients in these artforms, Anecdote Games' will receive $49,803 to support creating a proof-of-concept and narrative bible for a new digital game Outpost and Nathan Collett will receive $7,550 for sound design and mixing of a new documentary Arcadia.
Other Arts Activities funding recipients include Ylaria Rogers who received $40,416 to support the development of 'We Are Not Alone' a new verbatim theatre work and Melanie Lane who received $25,000 enabling the final development and rehearsal of a new dance work Mountain.
Minister for the Arts, Tara Cheyne said the funding will provide a significant boost to the local arts sector aligning with the ACT Government's ambition for Canberra as Australia's arts capital.
"I continue to be in awe of the calibre of Canberra's arts sector and the creativity and diversity of the concepts and projects presented through the applications.
"I'm particularly excited about the new Cultural Arts Program which I hope will inspire our young First Nations creatives to pursue their art and present their works to the community.
"Congratulations to all the successful recipients. I cannot wait to see the outcomes supported through this year's funding assistance."
The next round of $5k to $50k Arts Activities funding opened on 1 June 2023 and will close at 5:00pm on 31 July 2023.
