If you were given $1000 and 1:1 expert help, how would you have an impact on your creative community? Share your idea in 100 words when registering – ideas will be shortlisted and shared at the event to showcase the incredible ideas circulating in our community, with a winner selected on the night! 
 
We’re looking for ideas that align with the new South West Creative Industries Strategy – see detail HERE and a summary of the key pillars below: 

1. First Peoples – Support First People’s priorities, initiatives and creatives 

2. Creative Communities – Activate people and places to enliven spaces, develop networks, tell the southwest story and advocate for the sector 

3. Professional and Business Development – Increase capability and capacity to grow the creative industries  4. Young People and Families – Greater connection to skills, opportunities and each other. 

To pitch your idea, outline your initiative and it’s intended outcomes- think about the problem it solves, who will benefit and how. What will you learn from your idea, and what’s the longer term impact? 

The winner will be granted $1000 and offered a series of mentoring sessions and 1:1 consultations to help you turn your initial concept into an impactful project, because we know that it’s not just money you need to make things happen, it’s people in your corner, and access to valuable advice and support.

The winner will be offered bespoke advice from a host of experts, spanning the creative industries, local and state governments, philanthropic organisations and more.  Tap into expert guidance, contacts and helpful networks, be connected to useful resources and be guided on strategies to fund your idea, develop partnerships, organise governance, reach audiences… all relevant to you and your idea.

In developing the South West Creative Industries Strategy, the community called for opportunities to connect networks, help local creatives find ways to fund their ideas, and enable professional development. This is a night for making new connections across sectors, tapping into the knowledge and networks of southwest communities, and meeting people who can help you to pursue your goals. 

The event is designed to:

• Provide opportunities to activate creative spaces and to pay, support and promote local creatives and small businesses
• Build cross-sector connections between creatives, funders, advocates, and supportive organisations
• Strengthen peer-to-peer networks and spark collaboration
• Celebrate & raise awareness of diverse regional creatives & their projects
• Build community capacity via sharing of real-world learnings and actionable tips relating to funding and fundraising
• Connect creatives with mentoring and funding for a Strategy-aligned initiative
• Raise awareness of the work being done to support creative industries and who can help

These are related to the below three Strategy Pillars, most notably:

Pillar 1: First People – Around cultural protocols, inclusion & recognition
Pillar 2: Creative Communities – Spaces, Networks, Storytelling & Advocacy
Pillar 3: Professional and Business Development – Around financial sustainability, access to funding & mentoring 

You can read the full Strategy here and contact us if you’re interested in helping us with this work!