New funding arrangements for grants to Canberra’s artists have been announced by Minister for the Arts, Gordon Ramsay.
To be known as Arts Activities Funding, the new arrangements make it easier for artists to apply for assistance and has $775,000 budgeted for the coming financial year.
Mr Ramsay said artists can now apply for funding of up to $5,000 at any time of the year, giving them access to support for their arts practice when they need it.
“We know artists have projects occurring with short time frames and we want to support their work in the most effective manner,” Mr Ramsay said.
“If an applicant is unsuccessful, they will be able to reapply for the same or a different project with some helpful feedback on how they can improve their application.”
He said artists could apply for funding of up to $50,000, twice a year, and if they were unsuccessful in the first round, they could apply again in six months, instead of waiting a whole year.
“We’re allowing artists to provide a short video pitch to support their application,” Mr Ramsay said.
“We know that for some people writing applications can be a challenge and we want to give all applicants the best chance to clearly describe their project and its outcomes.”
He said $325,000 was available as a one-off funding round for Community Outreach Arts projects, as a result of underspending in this funding category.
“The aim of this funding is to increase participation in and access to the arts and promote collaboration between organisations, artists and the community,” Mr Ramsay said.
“We want Canberrans to engage in the arts, particularly those that experience barriers or disadvantage.”
The Minister said the Government was also calling for more artists to be part of the peer assessment process.
“Peers play a crucial role in ensuring applicants are fairly assessed when applying for funding and we need them across all art forms,” Mr Ramsay said.
