The Morrison Government has today announced more than $580,000 in funding to support 16 regional arts and cultural projects across Australia in the latest Festivals Australia program funding round.
Festivals Australia provides funding to support individual art projects at festivals or significant one-off community events, such as a town’s centenary celebration or opening of a new community resource.
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the funding will provide critical support for local organisation the Castlemaine State Festival through the Festivals Australia program.
“I am pleased to announce that the Castlemaine State Festival has received $40,100 for Riel ë Nhyiër – CSF Opening Night Celebration and Community Engagement 2021 through the Festivals Australia program,” Senator Henderson said.
“Riel ë Nhyiër is a musical celebration of the South Sudanese culture in central Victoria. Produced in collaboration with Arena Theatre Company, the work will intertwine stories and original songs of the civil war in South Sudan with personal accounts of each of the performers’ unique journey in now calling Australia home”
“The project will promote social inclusion, encourage connections to culture and traditions, and showcase the performers’ African heritage to a wider festival audience. Participating artists will gain an opportunity to enhance their practice, grow professional networks, exchange practice and deepen existing collaborative capacities”
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the grants were critical in supporting regional and remote artists and organisations to build careers and creative partnerships through festivals and community events in Bendigo Electorate
“I’m pleased to support a diverse range of projects across many art forms including music,, theatre, and visual arts – a strong refection on Australia’s diverse and vibrant arts sector.
“We are excited to see funding flow to a diversity of projects, which will build the long-term sustainability of artists, organisations and communities,” Minister Fletcher said.
The Festivals Australia program supports arts projects that invite community participation and audience engagement at festivals in regional and remote Australia. Each year the Government provides around $1.2 million through two competitive funding rounds to support arts projects at festivals in regional Australia.
For the full list of round 11 recipients and more information visit: www.arts.gov.au/festivals-australia
24 December 2020