March 11th, 2022Funding for creatives

Three creative organisations based in the Ballarat and Corio electorates will share in $558,000 under the seventh batch of grants from the federal government’s $200 million Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, which has created more than 200,000 jobs across Australia since 2020.

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the latest round of $20 million will begin to flow immediately to 91 organisations across Australia to support a resilient creative and cultural sector.

“Today’s announcement takes to $200 million the funding that has been committed under RISE. It has gone to 541 projects, creating more than 213,000 jobs across Australia, to be seen by a total audience of 55 million people,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The purpose of RISE is to back the arts and entertainment sector to recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19 shutdowns. We want to see venue doors thrown open to audiences; we want to see the curtains going up; and we want to see performers coming on stage to a welcoming roar of applause.

“This unprecedented injection of arts stimulus funding is producing an extraordinary cultural and creative dividend; with a two-year pipeline of supported events rolling out across Australia.”

Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the funding will provide critical support for local arts organisations and assist local communities and economies to restart from the pandemic.

“I am pleased to announce the following successful projects have been awarded funding through Batch Seven of the RISE Fund:

Corio electorate:

• The internationally acclaimed Back to Back Theatre Inc in Geelong received $394,500 to create a series of cultural events in Geelong’s Northern Suburbs, including the installation of a public artwork, created in consultation with members of its community.

Ballarat electorate:

• British India partnership: $140,000 for their 32-date national tour with a focus on playing at regional towns from the end of April.
• Creswick Amateur Theatre Group Inc: $24,300 towards their upcoming festival Cresfest which will showcase artistic talent, community ingenuity and the natural beauty of the town.

The full list of Batch Seven RISE recipients can be found at: www.arts.gov.au/covid-19-update