$102,961 Announced for Regional Artists and Communities in Victoria

Seven Community Grants projects and one Fellowship in Victoria have received $102,961 in funding through the Australian Government’s highly competitive Regional Arts Fund, delivered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.

Director of Partnerships at Regional Arts Victoria Liz Zito said that the projects in this round were of a high quality and offered a wide range of diverse activities.

“Regional Arts Victoria is proud to deliver this Australian Government funding program in Victoria. There was a great interest in this round from applicants and we thank them, as well as our two independent panels, for their commitment to this vital fund,” Ms Zito said.

Successful applicants in Round 1, 2020 include: 

  • Arena Theatre Company – Bendigo Arena Theatre Company will provide a mentoring program for women aged 14-62 in the local South Sudanese community in Bendigo. Developing an original theatre production, participants will have access to artistic support, mentoring and mental health support whilst creating a new work that shares their culture and experiences as recently arrived refugees.
  • Wurinbeena – Lakes Entrance Uncle Frank Harrison (Bidawal Wurundjeri) will build work with Fringe Dweller Films and Wurinbeena to use the documentary format to explore his story and pursue vital questions.
  • Dr Thembi Soddell – Clunes Sound artist and researcher Dr Thembi Soddell will investigate a question essential to sustainability and innovation in regional arts: how can an individual, experimental art practice be sustainable and relevant in a rural location? Activities will resituate Soddell’s metropolitan-centred art practice to their hometown of Clunes, forming partnerships between Australia’s leading sound art organisation, Liquid Architecture, Clunes Free Library and Clunes Neighbourhood House. Research will include documenting conversations with regional artists, curators, and community members about regional arts, presenting a series of local events around Soddell’s work on sound, trauma and mental health, and seeding an ongoing program partnership with Liquid Architecture.

Please see below for a full list of all recipients and project descriptions.

PDF here

The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia. The fund meets the strategic priorities of supporting participation in and access to the arts and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts. The Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund is provided through Regional Arts Australia. In Victoria, the Regional Arts Fund is administered by Regional Arts Victoria according to the objectives and general eligibility determined by the Australian Government. Information regarding upcoming rounds will be made available via rav.net.au

 
For more information on Round 1, 2020 funded projects, please contact:

Rhiannon Poley
Partnerships Communications Coordinator
Regional Arts Victoria
rpoley@rav.net.au

Image: 2019 Murtoa Stick Shed Residency, by Dave Jones

ROUND 1, 2020 SUCCESSFUL FELLOWSHIP APPLICANT

Dr Thembi Soddell
Clunes
$20,000
Liquid Architecture and Clunes Neighbourhood House
Sound artist and researcher Dr Thembi Soddell will investigate a question essential to sustainability and innovation in regional arts: how can an individual, experimental art practice be sustainable and relevant in a rural location? Activities will resituate Soddell’s metropolitan-centred art practice to their hometown of Clunes, forming partnerships between Australia’s leading sound art organisation, Liquid Architecture, Clunes Free Library and Clunes Neighbourhood House. Research will include documenting conversations with regional artists, curators, and community members about regional arts, presenting a series of local events around Soddell’s work on sound, trauma and mental health, and seeding an ongoing program partnership with Liquid Architecture.

ROUND 1, 2020 SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY GRANT APPLICANTS

Arena Theatre Company
Bendigo
$15,000
Arena Theatre Company collaboration with The Bendigo South Sudanese Women’s Ensemble
Arena Theatre Company will provide a mentoring program for women aged 14-62 in the local South Sudanese community in Bendigo. Developing an original theatre production, participants will have access to artistic support, mentoring and mental health support whilst creating a new work that shares their culture and experiences as recently arrived refugees.

Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc
Myrtleford
$5,081
Myrtleford Mosaic Trail
This project will engage the Myrtleford community by bringing to life a large scale mosaic work of art on a prominent building wall, with the theme “Love the Life”®. A multi-stemmed gumtree will be embedded with images of what the community loves about their town and surrounds. It will provide employment opportunities for two local artists, developing skills in mosaic technique whilst adding to the popular Myrtleford Mosaic Trail.

CreateAbility
Bendigo
$14,300
PhoneHeads HorsHam
PhoneHeads is a work that uses physical movement, dance and sound to engage with audiences in public spaces. Performers in this project will be drawn from two arts companies, one based in Bendigo (CreateAbility) and the other in Horsham (Art Matters). The creative teams and performers from both companies will prepare the performance in workshops shared between Bendigo and Horsham, as well as develop material and rehearse separately in their home towns. The work will be performed by members of both companies in Horsham on International Day for People With Disability in 2021.

WinterWild Apollo Bay
Apollo Bay
$15,000
The DogWatch for WinterWild Apollo Bay
This project involves a specially commissioned large-scale fireside public art performance over two weekends for Apollo Bay’s WinterWild Festival. A merging of dance, music, puppetry and theatre will bring community and professional artists together in a wild celebration of the deep winter darkness on the Great Ocean Road.

The Village Festival of New Performance Inc
Fryerstown
$5,080
The Village Parade Games Benalla
The Game is a large-scale, interactive project and community competition. This project will involve local artists working with The Village facilitators to bring together community members to work on a Parade around a community sculptural installation work that will be incorporated into the wider event.

Wurinbeena
Lakes Entrance
$15,000
Blue Horizons
Uncle Frank Harrison (Bidawal Wurundjeri) will build work with Fringe Dweller Films and Wurinbeena to use the documentary format to explore his story and pursue vital questions.

Heard Instinct Collective
Shepparton
$13,500
Heard on the Move
Heard on the Move is about visibility and voice for young artists of colour living on Yorta Yorta country. Through collaborative processes of mentoring and professional/creative development with partners Multicultural Arts Victoria and Creamy Spies, Heard Instinct Collective will produce a debut album, The Heard Artists’ Lounge. This project will also involve a new weekly open studio workshop series to support and develop skills of other local young artists of colour, and a showcase event to launch the album and create a platform for young artists of colour on Yorta Yorta country.