Aus Council to increase investment in two core grants

The Australia Council for the Arts already has plans for the money that has been part-returned to it by the Federal Arts Minister Mitch Fifield.

As reported in TMN last Friday, $8 million a year has been returned from the $104.8 million over four years that his predecessor George Brandis pulled for his ill-fated National Program for Excellence in the Arts (NPEA) in the May budget.

CEO Tony Grybowski said it would partially address the $31.4 million impact of the 2015-16 budget measures, which affected the Council’s peer assessed grants program and strategic projects.

Immediately after the May budget, the Council had to cancel two of four core grants for 2015 after being left with $12 million to be invested rather than the intended $26 million. These will now be increased to $19 million.

Grybowski said, “I am pleased this will enable us to increase investment in the two core grant rounds for 2015-16, providing project support for individuals, groups and small to medium organisations to create and present work, as well as a range of other arts activity.

“The flexibility of the Council’s new grants model will allow us to immediately allocate funds. This will have an immediate impact on the success rates in the current grant round, with outcomes to be announced in early December, as well as the next grant round which closes in February.”

$1 million will be directed back into strategic projects which had been suspended. These cover national and international market and audience development, as well as strategic development support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts.

Grybowski added, “In 2016-17 the Council will deliver three core grant rounds with an overall investment of approximately $18 million. We consider this to be the minimum viable level, compared to the planned $26 million intended through four rounds.

“Our new Four Year Funding Program for small to medium organisations will commence next year, replacing the Key Organisation program which concludes this year. Multi-year core program funding for this vital part of the arts sector is critical to sustainability and artistic vibrancy.

“Following (Fifield’s) announcement the Council is able to invest approximately $22 million in the Four Year Funding program, which provides a level of stability.”