Recipients who will take home a share in $520,000 from two ACT Government arts funding programs have been announced.
For the first time, the Cultural Arts Program will provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives with monetary support for 11 projects. The $127,565 in funding supports sharing culture and building arts practice.
One of the 11 recipients is Ngunnawal Cultural Arts’ Bradley Bell. With the awarded $15,000, he plans to work with Ngunnawal Elders and community members across four cultural practice sessions that incorporate language, dance, and art.
“Yadhung! It is unreal!” Mr Bell said. “This grant is empowering to our community and what we can do together. To be able to determine our own art projects, learning from one another; this will be uplifting for our community and our Elders.”
An emerging or established First Nations artist working in the field of glass will be mentored by senior First Nations artist Jenni Kemarre Martiniello at the Canberra Glassworks.
The first round of the successful applicants of the Arts Activities funding has also been announced. Seventeen projects will share in $394,219. Canberra-based solo and group artists can apply for funding to establish, create, post-produce and promote their projects. Grants of between $5,000 and $50,000 are available.
While literature, music, dance theatre, and visual arts creatives have been able to apply for grants previously, this year the funding was opened to screen and digital games for the first time. Anecdote Games are set to receive nearly $50,000 in funding to create a proof of concept and narrative bible for their new digital game, Outpost. New documentary Arcadia has received a $7,550 boost in funding for sound design and mixing awarded to Nathan Collett.
Ylaria Rogers received $40,416 to develop We Are Not Alone, a new verbatim theatre work, and Melanie Lane received $25,000 to develop and rehearse a new dance work, Mountain.
The second round of Arts Activities funding is now open; applications close on 31 July. Those looking to apply for grants are encouraged to speak to artsACT staff.
The combined funding provides an extra boost to the local arts sector. Minister for the Arts, Tara Cheyne, says it brings us one step closer to the ACT Government’s goal of establishing Canberra as the nation’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,” Ms Cheyne said.
“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.”
For the full list of recipients, visit: arts.act.gov.au
