In May 2025, Regional Arts Victoria partnered with the Fletcher Jones Family Foundations to host southwest Victoria’s inaugural Creative Social– a vibrant gathering designed to foster connection, spark new ideas, share insights and celebrate creative talent in southwest Victoria.
The event enabled southwest Victoria’s creatives, changemakers and collaborators to meet supportive networks, hear directly from locals behind successful projects, gain real-world insights on funding and fundraising for big ideas, and connect with 1:1 mentoring. It was like TED Talks meets Shark Tank but with social, community vibes!
The event brought together 83 people from four southwest local government areas alongside Melbourne, NSW and QLD. The room buzzed with energy, representing a diverse cross-section of the creative community, including artists, funding bodies, students, entrepreneurs, arts workers and organisations programming creative activities.
Highlights:
- Unforgettable live performances by David Darba from Lian Husi Timor in collaboration with Billy Barker, sharing stories and songs in language
- A “rockstar moment” from ex-Creative Leaders mentee, Jacob Paton-Lee with musician, Tom Richardson
- 3 presentations showcasing inspiring local creative projects, from the artists set to take over the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with the MSO, to Warrnambool’s newest First Nations sculpture and the evolution of the Warnibald Portrait & Art Event
- Valuable insights from a funder’s perspective by philanthropic trustee, David Fletcher Jones
- Practical tips on securing grants, negotiating sponsorships, and building meaningful partnerships, alongside diverse ways to reach fundraising targets
- A mentoring support package worth $2000 awarded to Katrina Carey for new creative kids’ magazine, Kelp, with 11 other applicants also offered mentoring to develop their ideas.
- A communal resource wall to crowd-source helpful ideas
Learning
The wisdom shared was invaluable, captured via videos below.
Warrnambool College and Leadership Great South Coast advised us to plan and perfect your pitch, but to respond to opportunities, and to ask directly for support, from business sponsorships and donations to discounts and in-kind support.
Find Your Voice Collective urged us to be guided by our heart, gut and head, to build our “scrum”, and be “polite pests” when seeking funding, though with patience, persistence, and a sprinkle of luck (a.k.a opportunity you’re ready to capitalise on)!
Warrnambool Hospice shared how they tapped into extensive artist networks, were strategic in covering expenses, and matched committee skills to required roles (particularly seeking funding).
David Jones encouraged us to remember that what isn’t measured, isn’t managed, to “take a long time to write a short speech”, and to be stewards in our relationships with funders, as with any relationship we nurture.
Attendees gained practical tips on securing grants, negotiating sponsorships, and building meaningful partnerships, alongside diverse ways to reach fundraising targets. A communal resource wall crowd-sourced helpful ideas, and relationships fostered on the night have already led to impactful outcomes.
Outcomes
Relationships fostered on the night have already led to impactful outcomes, including new collaborations and workshops, grant applications, performance opportunities, mentorship bids and even funding for roles and projects!
The event delivered on community calls to connect networks, help local creatives find ways to fund their ideas, and enable professional development – key aims of the South West Creative Industries Strategy.
The event fostered cross-sector connections, raised awareness of diverse regional creatives & their projects, developed local creatives’ ability to attain financial support or fundraise for creative projects, connected 11 creatives with 1:1 mentoring and funded one great Strategy-aligned initiative. It also raised awareness of the work being done to support creative industries and provided an opportunity to activate creative spaces and to pay, support and promote local creatives and small businesses.
The event reinvested almost $8,000 into local creatives and businesses – from engaging local custodians, musicians, presenters, technicians, printers and local caterers to commissioning photography and videography in an iconic creative space.
Feedback
Attendees said they left “buzzing” (Courtney), calling the night “super, amazing, fun and inspiring” (Colleen) with a “really awesome vibe” Brett.
- 97% rated the event “Excellent” or “Very Good”
- 91% strongly agree/agree that they made new connections
- 88% strongly agree/agree that they gained new information or knowledge
- 69% felt inspired after the event
See more infographics and feedback from attendees here.
“It restored my confidence to approach the companies and groups I need to move forward with future projects. I’ve been energised all week. Thank you”– Chris
The event’s success has strengthened sector confidence and interest, grown creative networks and sparked momentum toward future initiatives, with funders keen to support another Creative Social in Moyne Shire.
This was more than an event, it was a moment of collective inspiration and energy that has lit a spark across the southwest.
Stay tuned on future events in the southwest via our regional Facebook page.
Image: Attendees at southwest Victoria’s inaugural Creative Social, photograph: Greta Punch
Posted 6 June 2025