Creative industry gets more than $2 million funding boost with three separate initiatives

A series of new funding programs have launched in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT, as part of separate schemes offering a much-needed cash injection into the arts and music scene.

The Victorian Government has set up the Creators Fund to give creators of all artforms time to work on new works.

As a key action of the $115 million Creative State strategy, the new fun will provide individuals or creative collectives grants of between $20,000 and $50,000 to work on creative development, research or experimentation for up to six months.

According to the Government, the program will provide a total of $1.27 million to Victorian creators over the next two years.

Recipients can also participate in a lab-style program to share information, network with other recipients, and present their concepts and ideas to potential partners, collaborators or investors.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley explained that the Creators Fund is a new model for supporting creativity across the state, and will provide a total of $750,000 in funding as part of the scheme.

“In fields such as science and engineering we value and invest in research and experimentation,” he said.

“The creative industries should be no different. You can’t have a successful creative industry, or a creative state, without the best creative people.”

Expressions of interest for the Creators Fund will open on August 17 and close on September 7. You can head to creative.vic.gov.au for more information.

For those living in the nation’s capital, the ACT’s 2018 Project Funding will be used to fund “artistically interesting and exciting projects, excellence in arts practice across artforms, unique arts development opportunities and arts activities in which the ACT community can actively participate”.

Applications close at 5pmon Monday August 7.

An information session will be held on July 4 at Gorman Arts Centre in Braddon, with individual 20-minute consultation sessions will also be held at the Ainslie, Belconnen and Tuggeranong Arts Centres next week. Those who are interested can phone artsACT on (02) 62072384 to make a booking.

Creatives in Queensland are now able to apply for the State Government’s Individuals Fund, which is offering up to $10,000 per applicant to support artists and cultural workers to reach their potential, develop new skills and practice, explore new directions and develop new audiences and markets.

Since the inception in 2013, more than 100 artists and arts workers have been supported by Arts Queensland, with funding recipients including DJ, violinist and curator Kieran Welch, video technology artist Louise Bennett and emerging cellist Katherine Philp.

Applications close August 4for projects with a starting date after October 30.