Photo by Briannagh O’Loughlin
Last year, Melbourne was named the live music capital of the world, a title which came as no surprise to its inhabitants.
Despite its relatively new global ranking, Melbourne has long stood as Australia’s cultural capital due to its thriving community of creatives, as well as the venues and initiatives which continually foster and showcase local talent.
Each year for the past two decades, City of Melbourne has supported artists, musicians, performers, filmmakers, writers, and their ilk, through the Annual Arts Grants program which offers financial assistance to creators of all career stages to aid in nurturing their craft; whatever that may be.
Now accepting applications for its 2020 round, the Annual Arts Grants program is offering up to $20,000 a piece across three categories: arts projects, Aboriginal arts projects and arts residencies.
City of Melbourne will also run a range of free workshops and information sessions over the next month to help applicants understand the program and application process, as well as providing guidance on preparing a budget for their project.
“The City of Melbourne has provided grants to artists for over 20 years and is one way which Council aims to support and harness the full potential of our city’s creativity and to encourage its long-term growth and success,” says Chair of the Arts, Culture and Heritage portfolio, Councillor Rohan Leppert.
“In 2019 alone, 59 funded projects will take place across Melbourne, involving more than 1800 artists and practitioners,” he adds. “This equates to 925 days of arts activity in our city this year for the public to experience and engage with.”
While the grants are open to anyone, be it sculptors, dancers, filmmakers or writers, of all backgrounds and abilities, Leppert would love to see more applications from musicians this year.
“For this round of Annual Arts Grants, we are particularly interested in attracting applications from musicians of all kinds – electronica, metal, hip hop, punk and outsider music to name a few,” he says.
To encourage musicians to apply, City of Melbourne will host a dedicated information session for music makers at The Curtin on Tuesday June 4. The session is designed to show aspiring applicants how the program could benefit them as well as providing information and advice to better their chances through the application process.
In addition to a focus on music makers, City of Melbourne also looks to create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through the grants for Aboriginal arts projects. This year will also serve as the first time Aboriginal arts projects taking place over two years will be considered.
Leppert highlights the importance of showcasing the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and celebrating their vast contribution to Australia’s artistic heritage and evolving landscape.
“As a city with an Aboriginal focus, we want to hear from our First Nations communities,” he says. “We understand that for our First Nations communities, art is not a product or a service, but rather it informs how the world is and how to be in it. We want to share your insights and perspectives with the wider community.”
While the Annual Arts Grants program is open to artists Australia wide, the project for which applicants wish to allocate the grant money must take place within the City of Melbourne municipality. This ensures that the lifeblood of this city that is its rich artistic community continues to flourish and strengthen Melbourne’s cultural foundations.
“Melbourne is home to an extraordinary and diverse creative community which plays a key role in the city’s prosperity and in enhancing our reputation as Australia’s cultural capital,” says Leppert.
Annual Arts Grants applications for 2020 are open now until Monday June 24. For applications and more information, head to the City of Melbourne website.
