The Festivals Australia program is set to support 14 arts projects across the country with A$630,000 (£360,000/$430,000/€424,000) through its latest funding round.
The program supports individual art projects at regional or remote festivals, as well as significant community celebrations. It is run by the Australian Government’s Office for the Arts, which is part of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
The aim of the funding is to support projects that allow Australian residents, tourists and visitors in regional or remote Australia to participate and connect through these arts-driven experiences.
Some of the projects supported through the latest round of funding include the 2022 York Festival’s opening event Two Mountains Dreaming, which will feature Aboriginal artists and performers. The event in Western Australia has been awarded A$107,410 through the program.
Byron Bay International Film Festival in New South Wales has been awarded $71,500 to deliver an extended reality experience, Outdoor XR Activation. In Victoria, the 2023 Castlemaine State Festival has been awarded A$63,909 for its free opening night and concert. There will be performances from two Australian acts – Frente! and Kian.
In Tasmania, not-for-profit arts organisation Artology has been awarded A$57,500 to deliver a water-based movement piece and installation named Squid Theory.
Roughly A$1.3m is awarded to arts organisations through the Festivals Australia program annually. There are two competitive funding rounds, which usually open for applications in February and September.
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