Surf Coast Shire Council's radically re-designed Artist and Creatives Grants Program seems to have hit the mark in its second year, welcoming a 300% increase in applications.
The DEVELOP grants – which aim to promote original and expansive thinking and to afford practitioners with an opportunity to take creative risks – received almost $100,000 in requests across 27 applications. Eight projects across the shire will receive funding:
- No Through Road Collective – Dr Jenny Murray-Jones, Dr Jane Bartier and Sylvia Maseyk (Winchelsea)
- Time and Memory project development (slab roller) – Fiona McDonald (Torquay)
- Culture and Belonging photographic exploration – Daniela Rodriguez (Torquay)
- "My Winch" Exhibition Winchelsea Shire Hall – Samantha Whitaker and the James St Gallery Artists (Winchelsea)
- Experimental Music Video – Leah Senior (Anglesea)
- Artist Residency Victorian High Country to work on Middle Grade environmental issues novel – Stef Gemmill (Torquay)
- Textiles 1: Our Journey to the Surface Visual Arts Exploration and Exhibition – Simon Holloway (Lorne)
- Elements sound compositions production - Stephen Oakes, Barry Gilson and Melinda Kennedy (Torquay).
Councillor Gary Allen described this year's round as extraordinary.
"Every one of the 27 applications was exemplary, giving the Council direct insight into the wealth of incredible ideas and talents that exist right across our region," Cr Allen said.
"We were amazed by the quality of proposals, the breadth of mediums and ideas, and the professionalism that applicants demonstrated."
The cut-off score to obtain funding was an exceptional 82.5/100.
"It's important to recognise that our assessors would have liked to see every one of the applications funded if resources permitted," Cr Allen said. "They were all, across the board, excellent."
Cr Allen explained that whilst many of us gratefully consume art – it's something we buy for our walls or cabinets, it's what we watch at night or listen to during the day – the Council recognises that creative output does not occur without considerable time, research, development and effort.
"In the wake of COVID it became clear that we needed to help lessen income stress for creatives if we wanted to help them develop their best research and ideas," Cr Allen said. "We wanted to help Surf Coast creatives 'buy time' – and every one of this year's applications spoke to how much artists and creatives appreciated that."
