Media Release
Eight Project Grants have received over $175,000 in funding through the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, delivered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.
Australian Government Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, congratulated the recipients and their contributions to Australia’s arts scene.
“The Regional Arts Fund helps to get projects off the ground and boosts employment opportunities for artists and arts workers in regional and remote areas of Australia.
“Regional Australia has a thriving and diverse arts ecosystem, and this funding will help support artists and arts workers navigate it to maintain sustainable careers and reach their creative potential.”
Director, Partnerships and Programming at Regional Arts Victoria, Susie Lyons thanked everyone who applied in this round noting the high calibre of applications received.
“Regional Arts Victoria is proud to continue working with the Australian Government to deliver the Regional Arts Fund throughout Victoria. This support will enable regional artists and organisations across the State to showcase the diversity of regional storytelling and creative expression and ensures that our regional creatives contribute to a vibrant national arts sector.”
“Thanks must go to the independent assessment panel who commit their time and expertise to supporting our artistic communities. We look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition.”
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. The program is managed by Regional Arts Australia and administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria.
Please see the full list and description of all recipients below. Information regarding upcoming rounds will be made available via our website shortly.
2024 SUCCESSFUL PROJECT GRANT APPLICANTS
Bayden Clayton
Swan Hill Rural City
$30,000
The Marruk Project
The Marruk Project reconnects First Nations young people and the wider community in Swan Hill with traditional First Nations culture through immersive workshops and a community-driven performance of cultural dance, song, storytelling and theatre making. In response to the area’s urgent social challenges, such as increased teen violence, depression, anxiety and social disconnection, Marruk, meaning Enormous Multitudes, aims to restore vital cultural practices and support the well-being of young people. Under the guidance of esteemed local Elders, cultural leaders and artists, participants will reclaim and celebrate their culture, address race-based discrimination, and find personal growth through creative expression.
Shepparton Arts Festival Inc.
Greater Shepparton City
$30,000
Fashion by Shepparton: Sky Stories
Fashion by Shepparton: Sky Stories at the Shepparton Festival 2025 will be held at Elsewhere at SAM, Shepparton Art Museum’s licensed café. This project will support up to six local artists who design fashion and accessories, offering a unique opportunity for artists living and working in Shepparton to present their work in a professional runway show and establish new networks, partners and audiences.
The Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (DJAARA)
City of Greater Bendigo
$30,000
The Guildford Biyal Big Tree Project
The Guildford Biyal Big Tree Project, led by DJAARA, aims to preserve and celebrate the cultural significance of the Guildford Big Tree, a cherished River Redgum in central Victoria. Recognised as the Victorian Tree of the Year in 2023, this project responds to recent storm damage by transforming fallen limbs into crafted artworks, promoting healing and cultural connection within the Dja Dja Wurrung and the wider community.
Ballarat Foundation United Way Inc.
City of Ballarat
$29,605
Living Stories
Living Stories will empower young people from diverse backgrounds by transforming their lived experiences into impactful storytelling forms. Ballarat-based artists will facilitate workshops designed to upskill in areas such as creative writing for storytelling, collage, poetry, audio and performance storytelling, plus documentary storytelling techniques.
Radical Fields Inc.
Hepburn Shire
$14,260
Radical Fields End of Season Harvest
Radical Fields End of Season Harvest is a socially engaged contemporary arts and cultural event on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in Glenlyon, Victoria. Taking place on the grounds of Lyonbank Farm four kilometres from Glenlyon, the event will be open to the public. The Radical Fields End of Season Harvest will showcase the practices and activities of six artists, six community groups and several specialists in the areas of geology, agriculture, philosophy and anthropology.
The Fringe Thing Inc
Mount Alexander Shire
$7,422.40
Go Big, Biggger BIGGGGER!!!
Castlemaine Fringe will engage local artists Ned Middleton and Tobias Richardson, supporting them to present their larger-than-life Pop Star Live Art Painting in Castlemaine, as part of the Castlemaine Fringe Festival in 2025, and in Natimuk, presenting at Nati Frinj in November 2025.
Christine Davey
Colac Otway Shire
$4,520
The Deplorables – a new play with music by theatre-makers with a disability
Creative collaboration between writer and choreographer/musician to develop a new Australian play with music based on the first women’s cricket match in (Bendigo) Australia, 1874. The work explores this event through text, sound, image, movement and song, all told through a lens of disability.
Arena Theatre Company
Greater Bendigo City
$30,000
War of the Worlds
A reimagining of H.G. Wells’ classic by Fleur Kilpatrick, War of the Worlds is a groundbreaking collaborative performance involving young ensembles from Bendigo, the Riverlands, and Whyalla. The premise—as the ensembles prepare to perform Scenes from the Classics simultaneously in their towns, an alien invasion occurs. Using digital technology, they share experiences and help each other survive across locations.
About Regional Arts Victoria:
RAV is the peak body for regional creatives. We enable regional Victorians to make, participate in, and experience creative practice. Anchored by our members, we activate our networks to inform public policy, identify resources and seek ‘a seat at the table’ for creatives in the decisions that impact them.
About Regional Arts Fund:
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. The program is managed by Regional Arts Australia and administered in Victoria by Regional Arts Victoria. The Regional Arts Fund plays a key role in the Australian Government’s National Cultural Policy Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. Revive provides an increase to the Regional Arts Fund of $8.5 million over four years from 2023-24, recognising the importance of the arts in strengthening local communities.
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Media Contact:
Kate Gerritsen | Director, Communications and Engagement | [email protected]
Image: Tractor Pull at Radical Fields’ Harvest Festival, March 2024, photograph: Karen Brothers
Posted: 15 November 2024